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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. wind — moving air
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. band — a ring
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. roll — a cake
  8. key — in music
  9. key — the most important part
  10. band — a music group
  11. key — for a lock
  12. roll — a list
  13. can — a tin
  14. wind — moving air
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. can — a tin
  17. rock — a stone
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. rock — music
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. roll — on a roll

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