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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: cabinet · land · bank · bay · current · hide · key · cell

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bank — for money
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. cell — in biology
  7. land — a country
  8. current — happening now
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bank — for money
  11. current — electric
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. key — the most important part
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — ground
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. key — in music
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. current — of water
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bank — of a river

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