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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the sport
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bank — for money
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. key — in music
  9. bank — for money
  10. chair — a leader
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bear — the animal
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a line
  18. band — a ring
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bank — of a river
  23. band — a music group
  24. bear — the animal

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