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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: wind · trunk · fine · stick · last · key · drill · bank

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. drill — the tool
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bank — of a river
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. bank — for money
  10. fine — all right
  11. key — in music
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. last — finally
  14. key — the most important part
  15. drill — army training
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. wind — moving air
  18. fine — high quality
  19. last — to go on
  20. wind — moving air
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. last — final
  24. drill — a practice

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