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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: hand · key · wind · content · roll · wake · scale · season

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. roll — a cake
  4. content — happy
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. key — for a lock
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. key — the most important part
  13. scale — in music
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. key — in music
  16. season — of the year
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. wake — a trail
  21. content — the amount
  22. roll — a list
  23. wind — moving air
  24. season — in sport

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