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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.

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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.

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: key · arm · rush · band · degree · trunk · bay · fan

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. degree — temperature
  6. key — in music
  7. degree — an amount
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. band — a ring
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. key — the most important part
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. band — a music group
  24. arm — part of the body

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