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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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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: game · craft · fan · band · chest · calf · suit · mouse

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. chest — a box
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. chest — of your body
  6. band — a music group
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. chest — of your body
  10. suit — in cards
  11. craft — boats
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. suit — clothes
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a match
  20. band — a ring
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. suit — to fit
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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