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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. pop — soda
  3. band — a ring
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. key — the most important part
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. lie — to recline
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. swing — in golf
  12. key — for a lock
  13. season — in sport
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. key — in music
  16. bank — for money
  17. band — a music group
  18. swing — music
  19. pop — music
  20. bank — for money
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. season — of the year
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bank — of a river

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