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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. object — an aim
  3. clip — to cut
  4. band — a music group
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. fall — the season
  8. bank — for money
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. fall — to drop
  11. band — a ring
  12. mate — a friend
  13. object — to protest
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. mate — to breed
  16. object — a thing
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. clip — a video
  20. clip — for paper
  21. mate — a partner
  22. craft — boats
  23. can — to be able to
  24. craft — a skill

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