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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. object — a thing
  3. bank — for money
  4. clip — a video
  5. current — happening now
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — to bear
  8. object — to protest
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. drill — a practice
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. clip — for paper
  17. object — an aim
  18. clip — to cut
  19. current — of water
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — in music
  22. current — electric
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. drill — army training

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