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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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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: jam · band · key · rock · snap · hide · cap · chest

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. rock — a stone
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. chest — a box
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. cap — a hat
  8. snap — to click
  9. cap — a lid
  10. key — in music
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. chest — of your body
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. band — a ring
  17. cap — of ice
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. chest — of your body
  21. rock — music
  22. band — a music group
  23. key — for a lock
  24. jam — a tight spot

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