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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 120 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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — to crush
  8. scale — size or range
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. saw — the tool
  14. scale — in music
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. sharp — clever
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. saw — the tool
  20. band — a ring
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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