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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.

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: track · clip · band · lie · last · ruler · date · mouse

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. band — a ring
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a path
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. last — finally
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. track — a song
  11. clip — a video
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. band — a music group
  14. clip — for paper
  15. lie — to recline
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. last — to go on
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. clip — to cut
  23. last — final
  24. date — the fruit

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