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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. current — electric
  4. key — for a lock
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. key — the most important part
  7. current — happening now
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. ball — a dance
  10. degree — from a university
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. current — of water
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — temperature
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bank — for money
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bank — for money
  20. key — in music
  21. bank — of a river
  22. ball — a great time
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. coach — a trainer

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