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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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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: rush · key · bank · face · cue · game · kick · track

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. key — the most important part
  3. track — a path
  4. bank — for money
  5. rush — hurry
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. cue — a hint
  8. game — a match
  9. face — to confront
  10. key — for a lock
  11. track — to keep track
  12. cue — for pool
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. face — part of the head
  15. game — wild animals
  16. face — to point toward
  17. cue — a signal
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. track — a song
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. key — in music
  23. bank — for money
  24. kick — in football

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