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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. clip — to cut
  5. clip — a video
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. clip — for paper
  10. fine — all right
  11. key — in music
  12. bulb — for light
  13. key — the most important part
  14. fine — high quality
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — to fit
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — to grow
  19. key — for a lock
  20. squash — to crush
  21. suit — clothes
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — to trim

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