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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. clip — a video
  3. clip — to cut
  4. suit — clothes
  5. last — to go on
  6. rock — a stone
  7. cap — a lid
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. chest — a box
  10. chest — of your body
  11. deal — to handle
  12. last — final
  13. band — a music group
  14. cap — of ice
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. chest — of your body
  18. band — a ring
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. last — finally
  21. clip — for paper
  22. rock — music
  23. cap — a hat
  24. suit — in cards

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