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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 120 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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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. rest — a break
  4. plane — a tool
  5. key — the most important part
  6. game — a match
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. band — a ring
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rest — what's left
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rush — hurry
  16. band — a music group
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. key — in music
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. game — wild animals
  24. rush — to 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