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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 116 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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  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 music group
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. band — a ring
  6. lean — to bend
  7. rock — a stone
  8. key — in music
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. row — a line
  11. row — to paddle
  12. key — for a lock
  13. cell — a phone
  14. craft — boats
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. craft — a skill
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. lean — thin
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. rock — music
  23. cell — in biology
  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