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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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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: lie · mug · mouse · bear · band · wind · fork · snap

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. snap — to click
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. band — a ring
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mug — a cup
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. band — a music group
  17. bear — the animal
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bear — the animal
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mug — to rob
  22. lie — to recline
  23. mug — a face
  24. mouse — the animal

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