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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. clip — for paper
  5. face — to confront
  6. clip — a video
  7. face — part of the head
  8. staff — employees
  9. march — the month
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. staff — a stick
  12. clip — to cut
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. march — music
  17. bulb — for light
  18. staff — employees
  19. march — the month
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — in football
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. stem — to come from
  24. face — to point toward

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