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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. drill — army training
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. swing — music
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bank — of a river
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — certain
  13. swing — in golf
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. key — in music
  17. drill — the tool
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bound — obliged
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. swing — to play on
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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