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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. key — in music
  3. bank — for money
  4. swing — to play on
  5. key — for a lock
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — to point toward
  10. swing — music
  11. object — to protest
  12. bass — the fish
  13. face — part of the head
  14. object — an aim
  15. swing — in golf
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. object — a thing
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bass — low music
  24. hide — animal skin

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