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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.

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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: fall · lean · sharp · key · band · court · nail · kid

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. court — of a king
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. court — for sport
  5. kid — to tease
  6. fall — the season
  7. lean — to bend
  8. band — a ring
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. fall — to drop
  12. band — a music group
  13. court — of law
  14. sharp — clever
  15. kid — child
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. lean — thin
  20. key — in music
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. fall — to drop
  23. key — for a lock
  24. key — the most important part

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