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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mate — a partner
  3. clip — to cut
  4. scale — size or range
  5. clip — for paper
  6. clip — a video
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. track — a song
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. track — to keep track
  14. lie — to recline
  15. track — a path
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. scale — in music
  18. lie — an untruth

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