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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mouse · band · row · foot · shower · mark · bat · wake

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. band — a ring
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. row — to paddle
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. band — a music group
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bat — the animal
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. row — a line
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. shower — rain
  24. foot — a measure

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