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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. band — a music group
  3. clip — for paper
  4. fall — to drop
  5. clip — a video
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. band — a ring
  13. can — a tin
  14. fall — to drop
  15. board — to get on
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. clip — to cut
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. fall — the season
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. board — a committee
  24. pitcher — a jug

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