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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: dip · mark · board · date · band · mine · leaves · mouse

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. band — a ring
  3. dip — to sink
  4. mark — a trace
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. band — a music group
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. mine — for digging
  18. date — the fruit
  19. board — to get on
  20. mark — a grade
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — a committee
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. dip — a sauce

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