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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. band — a ring
  4. bank — for money
  5. key — for a lock
  6. last — to go on
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bank — of a river
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bore — to tire
  13. band — a music group
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bank — for money
  16. key — in music
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. cue — a signal
  21. last — final
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — hasty
  24. last — finally

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