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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: field · cabinet · wave · band · safe · mine · row · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — a subject
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a music group
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — a line
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. field — farmland
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. row — to paddle

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