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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 116 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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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: staff · mouse · mate · nail · race · band · bay · bat

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a music group
  6. race — humankind
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bat — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. staff — employees
  20. race — the arms race
  21. staff — employees
  22. band — a ring
  23. race — a contest
  24. nail — for a hammer

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