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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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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: rule · bank · date · cabinet · key · straw · firm · foot

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. firm — a company
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. firm — steady
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bank — of a river
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bank — for money
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. foot — a measure
  14. key — for a lock
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. key — the most important part
  17. date — the fruit
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bank — for money
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. rule — a law
  22. key — in music
  23. firm — decided
  24. rule — to rule out

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