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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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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 · cabinet · march · patient · bear · foot · bank · prune

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. key — for a lock
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. march — the month
  6. key — the most important part
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. prune — to trim
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bank — for money
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. foot — a measure
  16. bear — the animal
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bank — of a river
  23. key — in music
  24. cabinet — ministers

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