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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 120 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: perch · bank · key · clip · cabinet · trunk · temple · coach

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bank — for money
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. clip — a video
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bank — for money
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. key — in music
  9. bank — of a river
  10. clip — for paper
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. key — the most important part
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. clip — to cut

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