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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. band — a ring
  4. content — the amount
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. march — music
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. content — happy
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bank — of a river
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. march — the month
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bank — for money
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. march — the month
  22. bank — for money
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. band — a music group

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