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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. row — to paddle
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. clip — a video
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. root — of a plant
  8. band — a ring
  9. clip — for paper
  10. can — a tin
  11. root — of a word
  12. clip — to cut
  13. band — a music group
  14. can — to be able to
  15. root — the cause
  16. row — a line
  17. can — a tin
  18. 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