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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: kick · sharp · key · hand · band · bay · stick · fall

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. key — in music
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a ring
  10. sharp — clever
  11. hand — in cards
  12. fall — to drop
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. key — the most important part
  15. fall — the season
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. key — for a lock
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. kick — in football
  23. hand — help
  24. fall — to drop

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