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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: dip · rush · cabinet · band · can · jam · key · wound

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. can — a tin
  3. key — in music
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. key — for a lock
  6. band — a music group
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. can — a tin
  12. wound — an injury
  13. band — a ring
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. dip — to sink
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. can — to be able to
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. wound — an injury
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. key — the most important part
  24. dip — a sauce

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