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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: band · march · safe · mouse · mug · kid · rash · content

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a ring
  3. mug — to rob
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. content — happy
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. band — a music group
  8. kid — to tease
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mug — a cup
  11. march — the month
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — hasty
  15. march — music
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. rash — a series
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mug — a face
  22. kid — child
  23. march — the month
  24. content — the amount

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