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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. key — for a lock
  3. current — electric
  4. current — happening now
  5. band — a music group
  6. rest — a break
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. current — of water
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bank — for money
  11. band — a ring
  12. rest — what's left
  13. key — in music
  14. bank — for money
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — child
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bank — of a river
  24. key — the most important part

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