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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bank — for money
  3. can — a tin
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. clip — for paper
  6. band — a music group
  7. pop — soda
  8. clip — to cut
  9. pop — to visit
  10. clip — a video
  11. current — of water
  12. mate — a friend
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. current — happening now
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bank — of a river
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. mate — to breed
  19. band — a ring
  20. pop — music
  21. current — electric
  22. bank — for money
  23. can — to be able to
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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