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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 · pass · spring · squash · cabinet · key · face · stock

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. spring — a coil
  4. squash — to crush
  5. band — a ring
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. squash — the sport
  8. face — to point toward
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — in music
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. pass — a permit
  14. face — part of the head
  15. band — a music group
  16. stock — shares
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. key — for a lock
  19. stock — goods
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. spring — of water
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. face — to confront
  24. spring — the season

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