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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. last — finally
  5. bank — for money
  6. band — a music group
  7. row — a line
  8. bank — for money
  9. last — to go on
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. snap — to click
  12. last — final
  13. band — a ring
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. key — for a lock
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bank — of a river
  21. row — to paddle
  22. key — the most important part
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. mouse — for a computer

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