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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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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: shower · craft · band · key · mouse · hand · straw · suit

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. craft — boats
  5. band — a ring
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. shower — rain
  8. suit — in cards
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. shower — to wash
  11. craft — a skill
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. key — the most important part
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. key — in music
  16. suit — to fit
  17. hand — in cards
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. key — for a lock
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. suit — clothes
  23. band — a music group
  24. hand — help

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