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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: straw · clip · band · can · bore · cue · mouse · board

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. can — a tin
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — for pool
  6. band — a ring
  7. clip — to cut
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. clip — for paper
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cue — a signal
  13. band — a music group
  14. can — a tin
  15. bore — to drill
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — a committee
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. board — to get on
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. clip — a video
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. can — to be able to

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