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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: current · bass · bark · clip · band · face · safe · shower

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. clip — for paper
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. shower — rain
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. face — to confront
  10. current — electric
  11. bass — low music
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bark — to shout
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. clip — to cut
  17. band — a ring
  18. clip — a video
  19. bass — the fish
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. band — a music group
  22. current — of water
  23. current — happening now
  24. shower — to wash

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