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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. rest — what's left
  3. clip — to cut
  4. firm — steady
  5. band — a ring
  6. pop — to visit
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. pop — soda
  9. clip — a video
  10. rest — what's left
  11. clip — for paper
  12. chest — a box
  13. rest — a break
  14. firm — a company
  15. band — a music group
  16. pop — music
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. chest — of your body
  21. rush — hurry
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. chest — of your body
  24. firm — decided

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