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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 120 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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. clip — to cut
  6. tube — a container
  7. band — a music group
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. clip — a video
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. tube — the underground
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. clip — for paper
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. perch — the fish
  24. leaves — lets stay

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