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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. clip — to cut
  3. mug — a face
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mug — a cup
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a music group
  8. current — of water
  9. squash — the sport
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. clip — a video
  12. rush — hurry
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. current — electric
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. current — happening now
  18. squash — to crush
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. clip — for paper
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. mug — to rob
  24. squash — the vegetable

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