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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a ring
  4. clip — a video
  5. root — the cause
  6. deal — to handle
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. root — of a plant
  10. wind — moving air
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. clip — for paper
  13. cue — a hint
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. root — of a word
  18. wind — moving air
  19. clip — to cut
  20. band — a music group
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bowl — a football final

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