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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. key — in music
  6. object — an aim
  7. key — for a lock
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. band — a music group
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. snap — to click
  16. band — a ring
  17. key — the most important part
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — a thing
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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