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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 120 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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — in music
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fall — the season
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. fall — to drop
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. clip — to cut
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. ball — a great time
  14. clip — a video
  15. key — the most important part
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. fall — to drop
  18. clip — for paper
  19. bank — for money
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. ball — a dance
  22. can — to be able to
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. bank — for money

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