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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 116 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: cap · mine · mouse · band · calf · sharp · wake · hand

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. hand — in cards
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. band — a music group
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — a hat
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. sharp — clever
  16. cap — of ice
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wake — a trail
  20. hand — help
  21. mine — for digging
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. band — a ring
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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