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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. key — in music
  3. squash — the sport
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. key — the most important part
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bank — for money
  12. wake — a trail
  13. hand — help
  14. bank — for money
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — in cards
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. key — for a lock
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. suit — in cards
  22. squash — to crush
  23. snap — to click
  24. wake — before a funeral

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