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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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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: suit · rule · bat · face · key · bank · calf · cap

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. key — the most important part
  3. face — part of the head
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bank — for money
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bank — for money
  8. rule — a law
  9. suit — to fit
  10. rule — government
  11. bank — of a river
  12. suit — in cards
  13. face — to confront
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. suit — clothes
  16. cap — of ice
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cap — a hat
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. key — in music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bat — the animal

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