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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. spell — letters
  4. bank — for money
  5. staff — employees
  6. spell — a short time
  7. snap — to click
  8. bass — the fish
  9. key — for a lock
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. key — in music
  12. bank — for money
  13. staff — employees
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a line
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bass — low music
  18. staff — a stick
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. spell — magic
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. key — the most important part

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