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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.

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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: squash · bat · key · row · band · present · lean · hand

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. key — in music
  3. row — to paddle
  4. band — a ring
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. band — a music group
  9. present — a gift
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. key — the most important part
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. row — a line
  14. lean — thin
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — in cards
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. present — there
  19. key — for a lock
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — to crush
  23. lean — to bend
  24. bat — the animal

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