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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. can — to be able to
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. swing — to play on
  5. mine — for digging
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bank — of a river
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. key — for a lock
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. kick — in football
  12. content — happy
  13. bank — for money
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. swing — music
  17. key — the most important part
  18. can — a tin
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. content — the amount
  22. bank — for money
  23. can — a tin
  24. swing — in golf

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