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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 116 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: wake · ball · row · lean · straw · band · deal · key

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. band — a ring
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. key — in music
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a dance
  10. key — the most important part
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. band — a music group
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. lean — thin
  16. key — for a lock
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. deal — to handle
  19. row — to paddle
  20. ball — a great time
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. row — a line
  23. wake — a trail
  24. lean — to bend

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