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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bank — for money
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. key — in music
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bank — of a river
  10. mate — a friend
  11. key — the most important part
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. mate — to breed
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — low music
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bank — for money
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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