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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: dip · club · trunk · plane · coach · kick · key · bank

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. club — for dancing
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. club — a group
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. dip — to sink
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. kick — in football
  16. key — the most important part
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. club — for golf
  20. bank — of a river
  21. plane — a tool
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. key — in music
  24. kick — a thrill

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