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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: bank · key · tube · chair · leaves · wake · drill · rest

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bank — for money
  5. rest — a break
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. drill — army training
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bank — for money
  10. drill — the tool
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — a container
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bank — of a river
  16. key — the most important part
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. key — in music
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. drill — a practice
  24. chair — a leader

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