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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: leaves · band · key · board · wound · mouse · arm · stick

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. band — a ring
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — in music
  14. band — a music group
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. board — a committee
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. board — to get on
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. key — for a lock

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