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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: firm · hand · bank · key · band · root · drill · mine

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. root — of a plant
  3. mine — for digging
  4. band — a music group
  5. bank — for money
  6. key — the most important part
  7. root — the cause
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — in music
  10. bank — for money
  11. firm — decided
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. root — of a word
  14. firm — steady
  15. drill — the tool
  16. band — a ring
  17. bank — of a river
  18. firm — a company
  19. hand — in cards
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. drill — army training
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. drill — a practice

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