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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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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: foot · key · clip · straw · row · rule · coach · bank

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bank — for money
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. key — the most important part
  6. row — a line
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. key — in music
  10. bank — of a river
  11. rule — government
  12. clip — a video
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bank — for money
  16. clip — for paper
  17. rule — a law
  18. row — to paddle
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — a measure
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. clip — to cut
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. straw — a straw man

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