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

Word bank: deal · key · last · arm · cap · squash · kick · band

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. squash — the sport
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. key — in music
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a lid
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. key — for a lock
  10. squash — to crush
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. last — final
  16. last — finally
  17. key — the most important part
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. band — a music group
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. last — to go on
  23. cap — a hat
  24. band — a ring

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