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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.

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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: ball · chest · key · band · mug · hide · mouse · rest

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. ball — a dance
  5. mug — a face
  6. key — the most important part
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. mug — to rob
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rest — what's left
  15. key — for a lock
  16. chest — a box
  17. band — a music group
  18. chest — of your body
  19. rest — a break
  20. chest — of your body
  21. mug — a cup
  22. key — in music
  23. band — a ring
  24. hide — to keep secret

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