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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 116 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: key · kid · cabinet · band · track · leaves · coach · drill

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. track — a song
  3. kid — child
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. drill — army training
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. kid — to tease
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. band — a music group
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. key — for a lock
  13. drill — a practice
  14. key — in music
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. band — a ring
  17. track — to keep track
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. drill — the tool
  20. key — the most important part
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. track — a path
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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