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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bank — for money
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. squash — the sport
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. clip — a video
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fine — all right
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bank — of a river
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. key — for a lock
  17. clip — for paper
  18. key — in music
  19. firm — steady
  20. squash — to crush
  21. firm — decided
  22. firm — a company
  23. bank — for money
  24. clip — to cut

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