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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. bank — for money
  3. key — in music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. last — final
  6. suit — to fit
  7. march — music
  8. suit — clothes
  9. hand — in cards
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. march — the month
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. band — a ring
  14. suit — in cards
  15. hand — help
  16. bank — of a river
  17. last — to go on
  18. bank — for money
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. band — a music group
  21. march — the month
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. key — for a lock

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