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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: bay · band · lean · content · club · wound · staff · mouse

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. staff — employees
  3. club — for dancing
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. lean — to bend
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. band — a ring
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. content — the amount
  11. wound — an injury
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. club — a group
  18. content — happy
  19. band — a music group
  20. club — for golf
  21. staff — employees
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. wound — an injury

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