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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: staff · band · object · wake · arm · kid · pitcher · mouse

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. band — a ring
  9. object — an aim
  10. staff — employees
  11. wake — a trail
  12. kid — to tease
  13. band — a music group
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. object — a thing
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — a stick
  23. kid — child
  24. object — to protest

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