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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. march — music
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. band — a ring
  5. march — the month
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. key — for a lock
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lean — to bend
  11. band — a music group
  12. pound — a weight
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. cue — a hint
  16. key — in music
  17. cue — for pool
  18. key — the most important part
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. march — the month
  22. cue — a signal
  23. wind — moving air
  24. pound — for dogs

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