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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. clip — a video
  4. pop — soda
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. suit — in cards
  7. content — the amount
  8. suit — to fit
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. band — a ring
  11. pop — to visit
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. suit — clothes
  14. content — happy
  15. rash — hasty
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. clip — for paper
  18. band — a music group
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. pop — music
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. clip — to cut
  24. staff — employees

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