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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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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: band · stick · key · last · perch · squash · mouse · wind

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. perch — the fish
  5. last — to go on
  6. band — a music group
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. key — in music
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wind — moving air
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. last — final
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — for a lock
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. band — a ring
  18. last — finally
  19. squash — to crush
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — the sport
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. perch — for a bird

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