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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. key — for a lock
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — a trail
  5. key — the most important part
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. key — in music
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. clip — to cut
  11. bank — for money
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bank — of a river
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. clip — a video
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. clip — for paper
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. calf — a young 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