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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bank — for money
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. stock — goods
  5. pass — a permit
  6. file — a tool
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. file — a document
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. file — a line of people
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — in music
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. stock — shares
  21. rush — hurry
  22. snap — to click
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. rush — to hurry

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