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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. last — final
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. last — to go on
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bank — for money
  8. staff — employees
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. last — finally
  11. bank — of a river
  12. staff — employees
  13. capital — a city
  14. key — the most important part
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. key — in music
  18. capital — money
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bank — for money
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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