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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. craft — boats
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. key — the most important part
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. track — to keep track
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bank — for money
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. key — for a lock
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. track — a song
  17. rash — a series
  18. rule — government
  19. craft — a skill
  20. bank — for money
  21. rule — a law
  22. key — in music
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bank — of a river

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