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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: last · game · craft · saw · band · bear · mug · rash

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. rash — a series
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. last — to go on
  5. mug — a face
  6. craft — boats
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mug — to rob
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. rash — hasty
  11. last — finally
  12. bear — the animal
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. last — final
  15. band — a ring
  16. game — wild animals
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. craft — a skill
  24. band — a music group

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