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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 120 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: craft · ball · mug · wound · arm · lean · rash · band

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mug — a face
  8. rash — a series
  9. lean — thin
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. ball — a great time
  13. wound — an injury
  14. mug — to rob
  15. ball — a dance
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. lean — to bend
  18. band — a music group
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a skill
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. rash — hasty
  24. band — a ring

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