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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bank · nail · stick · spring · mug · degree · kick · wax

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mug — a face
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. mug — a cup
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. degree — from a university
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. spring — the season
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. spring — of water
  19. mug — to rob
  20. degree — temperature
  21. wax — to grow
  22. spring — a coil
  23. degree — an amount
  24. wax — in the ear

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com