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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — in music
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — a trail
  5. key — the most important part
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. swing — music
  8. march — the month
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bank — for money
  11. lean — thin
  12. cap — a hat
  13. rule — government
  14. swing — to play on
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bank — for money
  17. march — the month
  18. cap — of ice
  19. swing — in golf
  20. lean — to bend
  21. march — music
  22. bank — of a river
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. rule — a law

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