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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: squash · toast · mouse · nail · cap · band · saw · scale

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. band — a music group
  3. squash — the sport
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cap — of ice
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. cap — a hat
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. cap — a lid
  17. scale — size or range
  18. band — a ring
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. saw — the tool
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. toast — bread
  24. nail — on a finger

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