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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bank — for money
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. key — in music
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. last — to go on
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. last — final
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. staff — employees
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. last — finally
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. key — for a lock
  24. staff — employees

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