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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: cap · mouse · coach · sharp · firm · hand · band · fall

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. fall — the season
  3. firm — decided
  4. fall — to drop
  5. band — a music group
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — clever
  12. hand — in cards
  13. fall — to drop
  14. band — a ring
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. cap — a hat
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — a company
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — of ice

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