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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 116 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: cabinet · band · clip · mug · deal · spring · game · wax

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. band — a ring
  8. spring — a coil
  9. clip — a video
  10. spring — of water
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a cup
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. game — a match
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. spring — the season
  18. clip — for paper
  19. clip — to cut
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. band — a music group
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. game — wild animals
  24. mug — a face

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