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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: bound · band · key · dip · hide · roll · coach · stand

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. band — a music group
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. key — the most important part
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bound — obliged
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bound — tied together
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bound — certain
  19. roll — a list
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. roll — a cake
  23. band — a ring
  24. key — for a lock

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