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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: pop · bear · cue · rest · bulb · clip · patient · band

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a music group
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. pop — music
  7. rest — what's left
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. pop — to visit
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pop — soda
  14. rest — a break
  15. clip — for paper
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. clip — a video
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. clip — to cut
  23. rest — what's left
  24. band — a ring

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