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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: mine · key · band · wake · hand · bank · stick · kick

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. band — a music group
  5. hand — help
  6. key — for a lock
  7. kick — in football
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. band — a ring
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. key — the most important part
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bank — for money
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. wake — a trail
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bank — for money
  24. key — in music

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