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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bank — for money
  4. bat — the animal
  5. track — to keep track
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. drill — the tool
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. track — a song
  12. kid — to tease
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. drill — army training
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. kid — child
  17. track — a path
  18. drill — a practice
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bank — for money
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — in music
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bat — in an idiom

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