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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. kid — child
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. rock — a stone
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rock — music
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. club — for golf
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. file — a document
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. file — a line of people
  19. club — for dancing
  20. band — a music group
  21. kid — to tease
  22. club — a group
  23. file — a tool
  24. mouse — the animal

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