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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. clip — to cut
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bulb — for light
  5. key — for a lock
  6. saw — the tool
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — hasty
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bound — tied together
  14. key — in music
  15. clip — for paper
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — all right
  18. tube — a container
  19. clip — a video
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — certain

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