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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. band — a ring
  5. march — music
  6. band — a music group
  7. march — the month
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. march — the month
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. bank — for money
  14. clip — a video
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bank — for money
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — hurry
  22. clip — to cut
  23. bank — of a river
  24. can — a tin

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