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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 120 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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a ring
  4. clip — for paper
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. saw — the tool
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. branch — a division
  12. clip — a video
  13. pitch — completely
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. saw — the tool
  19. clip — to cut
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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