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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: can · key · fine · stick · mark · hand · wind · leaves

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. hand — help
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. wind — moving air
  5. hand — in cards
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. key — the most important part
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. can — a tin
  10. key — in music
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. can — to be able to
  13. fine — high quality
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. can — a tin
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. key — for a lock
  20. mark — a grade
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. mark — a trace
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. wind — moving air

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