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

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. snap — to click
  3. wind — moving air
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bound — tied together
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rock — music
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. rock — a stone
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. wind — moving air
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. key — in music
  16. bound — certain
  17. toast — bread
  18. bound — obliged
  19. band — a ring
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. key — the most important part
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. rush — hurry

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