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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  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. mouse — for a computer
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. track — to keep track
  5. squash — to crush
  6. track — a song
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. band — a ring
  10. track — a path
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. kid — to tease
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. squash — the sport
  18. hand — in cards
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. kid — child
  21. hand — help
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  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