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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: rock · can · kid · band · march · rash · fall · mouse

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. rash — a series
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rock — music
  5. kid — child
  6. can — to be able to
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. band — a ring
  9. march — the month
  10. rock — a stone
  11. can — a tin
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. fall — to drop
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. kid — to tease
  16. fall — the season
  17. march — the month
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. march — music
  20. rash — hasty
  21. fall — to drop
  22. can — a tin
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. rock — to move gently

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