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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  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. band — a music group
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. clip — a video
  4. band — a ring
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. squash — to crush
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. clip — for paper
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. squash — the sport
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. mark — a grade
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. mark — a trace
  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