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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: rush · bear · key · cap · arm · ground · band · deal

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rush — hurry
  5. cap — of ice
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. band — a music group
  9. deal — to handle
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. band — a ring
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — the earth
  17. key — in music
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. key — the most important part
  21. cap — a lid
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — an agreement
  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