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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bank — for money
  3. rush — hurry
  4. chest — of your body
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. chest — of your body
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bank — of a river
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. content — the amount
  11. key — the most important part
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a committee
  15. chest — a box
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. key — in music
  19. bank — for money
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. fine — all right
  22. content — happy
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. fine — high quality

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