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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 · kid · cabinet · mouse · band · rush · lie · last

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. last — to go on
  4. game — a match
  5. lie — to recline
  6. band — a ring
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rush — hurry
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kid — child
  16. last — final
  17. game — wild animals
  18. last — finally
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a rubber band
  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