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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: bay · saw · rest · calf · key · mine · bank · tube

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. key — for a lock
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bank — for money
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. mine — for digging
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. tube — a container
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bank — of a river
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. key — in music
  21. rest — a break
  22. bank — for money
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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