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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 120 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: bay · fork · clip · band · saw · mate · fan · current

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. mate — a friend
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. mate — to breed
  7. current — electric
  8. band — a music group
  9. current — of water
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fork — in a road
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. mate — a partner
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. clip — to cut
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. clip — a video
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. band — a ring
  24. current — happening now

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