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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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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: key · band · rock · perch · ruler · kick · lie · craft

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. perch — the fish
  3. band — a music group
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. key — the most important part
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rock — music
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. craft — boats
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. band — a ring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. key — for a lock
  18. craft — a skill
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. kick — in football
  21. lie — to recline
  22. rock — a stone
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. craft — a handicraft

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