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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  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 rubber band
  2. clip — a video
  3. press — newspapers
  4. drill — the tool
  5. board — a committee
  6. drill — army training
  7. kid — child
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. face — part of the head
  10. drill — a practice
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. board — to get on
  13. roll — a cake
  14. band — a ring
  15. kid — to tease
  16. roll — a list
  17. press — to push
  18. face — to confront
  19. press — a publisher
  20. clip — for paper
  21. band — a music group
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. face — to point toward
  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