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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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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bank — of a river
  3. track — a song
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. press — to push
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bank — for money
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bank — for money
  13. track — a path
  14. track — to keep track
  15. scale — size or range
  16. lie — to recline
  17. press — newspapers
  18. key — in music
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — help
  22. scale — in music
  23. key — the most important part
  24. lie — an untruth

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