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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: hide · hand · swing · tear · bank · key · mate · rush

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bank — of a river
  4. key — for a lock
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. key — the most important part
  7. mate — to breed
  8. tear — to rip
  9. bank — for money
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hand — help
  13. key — in music
  14. mate — a partner
  15. swing — music
  16. tear — from crying
  17. hand — in cards
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. tear — from crying
  20. swing — in golf
  21. swing — to play on
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. mate — a friend
  24. rush — hurry

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