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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. bank — of a river
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. key — the most important part
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — a law
  7. kid — child
  8. kid — to tease
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. wind — moving air
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. capital — money
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. bank — for money
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. wind — moving air
  18. capital — a city
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. key — for a lock
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bank — for money
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. key — in music

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