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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: band · lie · sharp · can · current · key · wind · season

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. lie — to recline
  3. band — a ring
  4. key — for a lock
  5. can — to be able to
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. season — of the year
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. current — of water
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. can — a tin
  12. current — electric
  13. wind — moving air
  14. band — a music group
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. key — in music
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. key — the most important part
  19. season — in sport
  20. sharp — clever
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. wind — moving air
  23. can — a tin
  24. sharp — with an edge

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