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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  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. can — to be able to
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bank — for money
  5. chest — of your body
  6. deal — to handle
  7. wound — an injury
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. can — a tin
  10. kid — child
  11. bank — of a river
  12. kid — to tease
  13. key — in music
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. chest — a box
  16. key — the most important part
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. can — a tin
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. bank — for money
  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