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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 120 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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. clip — to cut
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. clip — a video
  5. clip — for paper
  6. cell — in biology
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cell — a phone
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. cue — a signal
  20. craft — boats
  21. craft — a skill
  22. cue — for pool
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. bowl — to roll

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