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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pit · rash · present · band · lean · key · hand · cabinet

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. key — the most important part
  3. pit — a hole
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. present — the time now
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. rash — hasty
  9. key — for a lock
  10. rash — a series
  11. key — in music
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. present — there
  14. band — a music group
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. pit — in a race
  18. band — a ring
  19. hand — in cards
  20. lean — to bend
  21. present — a gift
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. hand — part of the body

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