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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. current — electric
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. charge — electricity
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. clip — a video
  13. charge — in control
  14. bulb — for light
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bulb — for light
  18. current — of water
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. clip — for paper
  21. current — happening now
  22. chest — a box
  23. charge — a price
  24. arm — part of the body

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