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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: clip · cabinet · band · bay · object · shower · land · safe

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. clip — to cut
  3. clip — for paper
  4. land — a country
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. land — ground
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. clip — a video
  11. shower — rain
  12. object — to protest
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. object — an aim
  18. shower — to wash
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. band — a ring
  22. land — to come down
  23. object — a thing
  24. safe — a strongbox

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