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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: stand · kid · key · dip · bank · snap · object · pit

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bank — for money
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bank — for money
  7. kid — child
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. kid — to tease
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bank — of a river
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. pit — in a race
  15. object — a thing
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — an aim
  19. key — the most important part
  20. snap — to click
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. key — in music
  23. pit — a hole
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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