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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.

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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: pit · fall · mouse · wind · content · nail · rash · band

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. band — a music group
  4. rash — a series
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pit — a hole
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pit — in a race
  17. fall — to drop
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. band — a ring
  21. rash — hasty
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. content — happy

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