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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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. mug — to rob
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. chest — a box
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. mug — a cup
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bass — the fish
  15. band — a ring
  16. bass — low music
  17. mug — a face
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. band — a music group
  22. chest — of your body
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. kid — to tease

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