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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: bear · staff · roll · rash · nail · mug · band · wind

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. roll — a list
  4. rash — a series
  5. staff — employees
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. rash — hasty
  12. staff — a stick
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — a face
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. band — a ring
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. band — a music group
  20. staff — employees
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. mug — to rob
  23. roll — a cake
  24. wind — moving air

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