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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. hand — help
  3. cue — for pool
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bore — to drill
  8. cue — a hint
  9. clip — to cut
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. clip — for paper
  12. clip — a video
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — the most important part
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. key — in music
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bore — to tire
  20. band — a ring
  21. cue — a signal
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — a place of worship

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