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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: band · face · wound · suit · lean · staff · bulb · mouse

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. staff — employees
  3. lean — to bend
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. lean — thin
  7. suit — clothes
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. face — part of the head
  11. suit — in cards
  12. staff — a stick
  13. face — to point toward
  14. band — a ring
  15. face — to confront
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. staff — employees
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. suit — to fit
  24. bulb — of a plant

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