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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. rash — hasty
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. band — a music group
  8. clip — a video
  9. rock — music
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. clip — to cut
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. current — electric
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — of water
  19. lean — to bend
  20. rock — a stone
  21. band — a ring
  22. pass — a permit
  23. rash — a series
  24. lean — thin

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