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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. band — a ring
  3. scale — in music
  4. season — in sport
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. season — of the year
  12. band — a music group
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bark — to shout
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. scale — size or range
  24. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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