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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. clip — for paper
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. track — a path
  6. current — happening now
  7. track — to keep track
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — a stone
  10. current — of water
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a music group
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. cue — a signal
  18. clip — a video
  19. cue — for pool
  20. current — electric
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. track — a song
  24. clip — to cut

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