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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: swing · trunk · safe · clip · band · saw · tube · pitch

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. tube — the underground
  3. swing — to play on
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. swing — music
  10. pitch — completely
  11. saw — the tool
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. tube — a container
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. band — a music group
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — a video
  19. clip — to cut
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. swing — in golf
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. band — a ring
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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