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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 116 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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bank — for money
  3. last — final
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bank — for money
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. suit — in cards
  9. stand — to bear
  10. fall — to drop
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. chip — for betting
  15. fall — to drop
  16. suit — clothes
  17. last — finally
  18. fall — the season
  19. chip — to eat
  20. key — for a lock
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. bank — of a river
  23. key — in music
  24. last — to go on

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