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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: bank · lie · kick · nail · kid · wake · cap · key

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. key — the most important part
  3. cap — a lid
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kick — in football
  8. bank — for money
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. lie — to recline
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — of ice
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bank — for money
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. key — in music
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. kid — child
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. key — for a lock
  24. wake — a trail

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