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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: cell · jam · key · band · staff · squash · wound · hand

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. staff — employees
  3. key — in music
  4. squash — to crush
  5. cell — in biology
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. hand — help
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. wound — an injury
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. key — the most important part
  14. wound — an injury
  15. staff — a stick
  16. key — for a lock
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. band — a ring
  20. squash — the sport
  21. staff — employees
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. cell — a phone
  24. hand — in cards

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