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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 116 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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468
Word bank
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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — in music
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bank — for money
  10. snap — to click
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mine — for digging
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rest — a break
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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