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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: fan · mug · lean · staff · row · bulb · band · mouse

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  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. mug — to rob
  2. staff — employees
  3. row — a line
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. band — a music group
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. lean — to bend
  11. mug — a face
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. staff — a stick
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. band — a ring
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mug — a cup
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bulb — for light
  20. row — to paddle
  21. staff — employees
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. lean — thin
  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