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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. clip — for paper
  3. spring — of water
  4. chair — a leader
  5. spring — the season
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. deal — to handle
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. spring — a coil
  11. clip — to cut
  12. clip — a video
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. band — a ring
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. cabinet — ministers

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