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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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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bank — of a river
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bank — for money
  5. key — in music
  6. club — a group
  7. land — ground
  8. spring — of water
  9. bank — for money
  10. land — a country
  11. spring — a coil
  12. rest — a break
  13. face — to confront
  14. land — to come down
  15. face — to point toward
  16. spring — the season
  17. club — for dancing
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rock — a stone
  20. club — for golf
  21. rock — music
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. face — part of the head

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