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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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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. chest — of your body
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. clip — a video
  6. current — of water
  7. current — electric
  8. chest — of your body
  9. snap — to click
  10. chest — a box
  11. bulb — for light
  12. object — an aim
  13. press — to push
  14. bank — for money
  15. current — happening now
  16. bank — of a river
  17. clip — for paper
  18. press — newspapers
  19. object — a thing
  20. bank — for money
  21. clip — to cut
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. press — a publisher
  24. object — to protest

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