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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 · clip · saw · rest · content · press · firm · scale

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. press — newspapers
  3. saw — the tool
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. clip — to cut
  6. firm — steady
  7. scale — in music
  8. rest — a break
  9. clip — a video
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. content — happy
  14. rest — what's left
  15. content — the amount
  16. press — to push
  17. scale — size or range
  18. firm — a company
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. press — a publisher
  22. firm — decided
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. rest — what's left

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