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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: bowl · snap · key · rash · nail · lean · capital · bank

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. key — the most important part
  4. rash — a series
  5. bank — of a river
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. capital — money
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. capital — a city
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bank — for money
  16. key — for a lock
  17. snap — to click
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. key — in music
  23. bank — for money
  24. lean — thin

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