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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: clip · charge · band · stick · deal · sharp · ruler · can

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. can — a tin
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. clip — for paper
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. can — a tin
  9. sharp — clever
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — a price
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. charge — in control
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. clip — a video
  21. band — a ring
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. clip — to cut
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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