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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. clip — a video
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bear — the animal
  5. ball — a dance
  6. firm — decided
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. clip — to cut
  9. suit — to fit
  10. band — a ring
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. track — a song
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. suit — in cards
  15. firm — steady
  16. suit — clothes
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a path
  19. saw — the tool
  20. firm — a company
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bear — the animal
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. band — a music group

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