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

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. board — a committee
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. band — a music group
  7. fall — to drop
  8. clip — a video
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bound — tied together
  11. fall — the season
  12. clip — to cut
  13. band — a ring
  14. bound — obliged
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bound — certain
  17. cue — a signal
  18. board — to get on
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. cue — for pool
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. cue — a hint
  24. fall — to drop

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