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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rest · kick · foot · key · band · mine · object · season

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. object — a thing
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — in sport
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. key — in music
  9. band — a ring
  10. band — a music group
  11. key — the most important part
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. foot — a measure
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. rest — what's left
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — an aim
  20. rest — what's left
  21. key — for a lock
  22. kick — in football
  23. mine — for digging
  24. foot — the bottom

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