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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 120 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: band · saw · lie · rock · key · pit · perch · spell

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — the most important part
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. pit — a hole
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. key — in music
  10. band — a ring
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rock — a stone
  13. perch — the fish
  14. spell — magic
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pit — in a race
  20. band — a music group
  21. spell — a short time
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. spell — letters
  24. band — a rubber band

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