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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. charge — in control
  5. spring — a coil
  6. charge — a price
  7. spring — of water
  8. clip — to cut
  9. pass — a permit
  10. dip — to sink
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. track — a song
  14. charge — electricity
  15. clip — a video
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. clip — for paper
  19. track — a path
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. track — to keep track
  22. band — a ring
  23. spring — the season
  24. dip — to dunk

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