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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. clip — a video
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. band — a music group
  5. drill — army training
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. clip — for paper
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. clip — to cut
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rush — hurry
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. board — a committee
  17. drill — a practice
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — low music
  22. band — a ring
  23. board — to get on
  24. drill — the tool

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