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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: ground · can · chest · drill · mouse · face · band · suit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. chest — of your body
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. suit — clothes
  5. band — a music group
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. chest — of your body
  10. ground — a position
  11. can — a tin
  12. band — a ring
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — the earth
  15. drill — the tool
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. face — to confront
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. suit — to fit
  20. face — part of the head
  21. drill — a practice
  22. face — to point toward
  23. chest — a box
  24. drill — army training

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