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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: roll · content · band · plane · key · mark · kick · bound

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. roll — a cake
  3. bound — obliged
  4. key — the most important part
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. plane — a tool
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. band — a ring
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. content — the amount
  13. mark — a grade
  14. kick — in football
  15. key — for a lock
  16. mark — a trace
  17. roll — a list
  18. content — happy
  19. band — a music group
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — tied together
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. key — in music
  24. mark — to pay attention

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