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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 116 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: fork · saw · lean · squash · ball · band · mouse · bulb

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a music group
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. ball — a dance
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. ball — a great time
  10. squash — the sport
  11. saw — the tool
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — to bend
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. squash — to crush
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fork — in a road
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. lean — thin
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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