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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. key — for a lock
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — crushed
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. lean — thin
  11. bank — of a river
  12. root — of a plant
  13. key — in music
  14. root — the cause
  15. mate — a friend
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a skill
  18. lean — to bend
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bank — for money
  21. root — of a word
  22. key — the most important part
  23. ground — the earth
  24. mine — for digging

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