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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.

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: band · ball · trunk · file · bay · wake · mouse · scale

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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. ball — a great time
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a tool
  6. scale — size or range
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — a trail
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — in music
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. band — a music group
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. band — a ring
  23. file — a document
  24. mouse — the animal

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