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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.

Make a worksheet

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: band · rock · ball · lash · mouse · key · press · patient

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. ball — a dance
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. press — a publisher
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. band — a ring
  10. key — for a lock
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. press — to push
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. band — a music group
  16. key — the most important part
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. key — in music
  21. press — newspapers
  22. rock — music
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rock — a stone

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