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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: key · dip · deal · capital · leaves · hand · band · staff

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. key — in music
  5. dip — to sink
  6. deal — to handle
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. hand — in cards
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. capital — money
  13. band — a music group
  14. key — the most important part
  15. staff — employees
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. capital — a city
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. band — a ring
  23. key — for a lock
  24. hand — help

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