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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: band · ruler · fine · clip · wax · dip · nail · sharp

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a ring
  3. sharp — clever
  4. clip — to cut
  5. fine — high quality
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. clip — for paper
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. band — a music group
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. fine — all right
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. dip — to sink
  21. wax — to grow
  22. clip — a video
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fine — a penalty

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