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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. band — a music group
  3. object — a thing
  4. season — of the year
  5. clip — for paper
  6. object — an aim
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. band — a ring
  9. clip — to cut
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. spring — the season
  12. current — of water
  13. face — to point toward
  14. spring — of water
  15. face — part of the head
  16. season — in sport
  17. tube — the underground
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. clip — a video
  20. current — electric
  21. current — happening now
  22. object — to protest
  23. tube — a container
  24. face — to confront

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