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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bowl · mug · chest · band · can · rule · cap · mouse

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. band — a ring
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. chest — a box
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. can — to be able to
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mug — a face
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mug — to rob
  17. cap — a hat
  18. can — a tin
  19. chest — of your body
  20. band — a music group
  21. cap — of ice
  22. can — a tin
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — a law

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