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

Word bank: clip · safe · ruler · pop · saw · board · band · shower

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. board — to get on
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — soda
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. pop — to visit
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — rain
  15. band — a ring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. saw — the tool
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. clip — to cut
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. board — a committee
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. clip — for paper
  24. clip — a video

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