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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. root — the cause
  4. clip — a video
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. tube — a container
  7. clip — to cut
  8. cap — a hat
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. cap — a lid
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. band — a music group
  14. squash — to crush
  15. clip — for paper
  16. tube — the underground
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. band — a ring
  20. root — of a word
  21. squash — the sport
  22. cap — of ice
  23. root — of a plant
  24. tube — in a tire

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