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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: season · band · object · bear · snap · mug · scale · clip

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. bear — the animal
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — for paper
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. season — in sport
  8. band — a music group
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — in music
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — to rob
  13. object — an aim
  14. snap — to click
  15. band — a ring
  16. season — of the year
  17. scale — size or range
  18. object — a thing
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. object — to protest
  23. clip — a video
  24. season — to add flavour

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