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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. clip — a video
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. object — an aim
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. club — a group
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. clip — for paper
  13. bulb — for light
  14. object — to protest
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. club — for golf
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. club — for dancing
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fork — in a road
  22. object — a thing
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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