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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. clip — to cut
  3. clip — a video
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bound — certain
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. rock — a stone
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. band — a music group
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rock — music
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. clip — for paper
  18. tube — the underground
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — obliged
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. band — a ring
  24. rock — to move gently

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