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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. band — a ring
  8. bank — for money
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bank — of a river
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. band — a music group
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. rest — a break
  19. saw — the tool
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. rest — what's left
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bank — for money
  24. chair — a professorship

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