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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: sharp · rash · land · rest · mouse · key · band · bound

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bound — certain
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. band — a ring
  6. key — in music
  7. bound — tied together
  8. rest — a break
  9. land — to come down
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. key — the most important part
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bound — obliged
  14. land — a country
  15. rash — a series
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. key — for a lock
  20. land — ground
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rash — hasty
  24. sharp — clever

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