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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 120 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: deal · key · object · spell · bank · stick · tube · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. bank — for money
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bank — of a river
  6. tube — the underground
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. spell — a short time
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. spell — letters
  11. bank — for money
  12. spell — magic
  13. key — for a lock
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. object — to protest
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — in music
  19. deal — to handle
  20. tube — a container
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — an aim
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. foot — a measure

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