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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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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: straw · band · mug · plane · content · club · firm · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mug — a face
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. club — for golf
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. club — for dancing
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. content — the amount
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — decided
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. firm — steady
  17. mug — a cup
  18. content — happy
  19. mug — to rob
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. club — a group
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a music group
  24. plane — a tool

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