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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. staff — employees
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. object — an aim
  6. band — a ring
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. staff — employees
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. clip — a video
  12. spell — magic
  13. object — a thing
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. staff — a stick
  17. dip — to sink
  18. clip — to cut
  19. band — a music group
  20. spell — letters
  21. clip — for paper
  22. object — to protest
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. dip — a sauce

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