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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: key · bank · bound · mine · hide · coach · capital · nail

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bound — certain
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bound — obliged
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mine — for digging
  9. key — the most important part
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. key — in music
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bank — of a river
  15. capital — money
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bound — tied together
  18. capital — a city
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. key — for a lock
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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