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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. bulb — for light
  3. clip — to cut
  4. rock — a stone
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. clip — for paper
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. branch — a division
  13. bore — to tire
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bore — to drill
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. band — a music group
  19. rock — music
  20. clip — a video
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. branch — of a bank

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