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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: board · band · foot · cabinet · key · pop · face · rush

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. key — in music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. face — to point toward
  7. board — a committee
  8. face — part of the head
  9. band — a ring
  10. rush — hurry
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. foot — a measure
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. pop — music
  15. board — to get on
  16. key — the most important part
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. band — a music group
  19. key — for a lock
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. face — to confront

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