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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.

Make a worksheet

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: key · prune · band · rock · safe · lean · hand · chair

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. hand — help
  4. chair — a leader
  5. key — for a lock
  6. rock — a stone
  7. band — a music group
  8. lean — thin
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. key — the most important part
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. hand — in cards
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. lean — to bend
  18. prune — to trim
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rock — music
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. key — in music
  23. prune — to trim
  24. safe — out of danger

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