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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. key — the most important part
  4. firm — decided
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. tube — a container
  7. key — in music
  8. tube — the underground
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. roll — a list
  11. toast — bread
  12. firm — steady
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. squash — the sport
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. key — for a lock
  17. firm — a company
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. roll — a cake
  20. bank — for money
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bank — of a river
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. squash — to crush

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