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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. track — a song
  3. track — a path
  4. key — in music
  5. chest — of your body
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. track — to keep track
  8. rule — a law
  9. key — the most important part
  10. chest — a box
  11. rule — government
  12. hand — help
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. bank — for money
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. rash — a series
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bank — for money
  22. key — for a lock
  23. hand — in cards
  24. chest — of your body

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