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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: rock · bat · coach · key · nail · band · spell · bank

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. spell — letters
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bank — for money
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. rock — a stone
  11. band — a music group
  12. rock — music
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bank — for money
  15. spell — magic
  16. key — in music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. band — a ring
  19. spell — a short time
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bank — of a river
  24. nail — for a hammer

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