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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 · hand · spring · bank · rock · staff · drill · bass

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. bass — the fish
  4. rock — a stone
  5. key — the most important part
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. drill — army training
  9. staff — employees
  10. hand — help
  11. bank — for money
  12. drill — the tool
  13. spring — the season
  14. key — in music
  15. drill — a practice
  16. spring — of water
  17. bank — of a river
  18. staff — employees
  19. spring — a coil
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bass — low music
  22. staff — a stick
  23. rock — music
  24. hand — part of the body

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