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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: band · clip · suit · patient · cue · mate · perch · squash

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. suit — in cards
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. squash — the sport
  5. clip — for paper
  6. band — a music group
  7. perch — the fish
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. band — a ring
  11. mate — a friend
  12. cue — for pool
  13. clip — a video
  14. mate — to breed
  15. cue — a signal
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. mate — a partner
  18. squash — to crush
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — clothes
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cue — a hint
  24. band — a rubber band

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