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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.

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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: sharp · clip · band · cap · bank · mouse · leaves · bound

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. band — a music group
  10. sharp — clever
  11. band — a ring
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. clip — to cut
  14. bound — tied together
  15. cap — of ice
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. clip — a video
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. clip — for paper
  23. bank — for money
  24. mouse — for a computer

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