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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: band · mug · staff · craft · spell · kick · suit · bat

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. staff — employees
  4. suit — to fit
  5. spell — a short time
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. mug — a face
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. mug — a cup
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. staff — a stick
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. mug — to rob
  14. bat — the animal
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. suit — in cards
  17. staff — employees
  18. spell — letters
  19. kick — in football
  20. craft — a skill
  21. spell — magic
  22. band — a music group
  23. suit — clothes
  24. craft — boats

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