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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. tear — to rip
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. clip — to cut
  7. field — a subject
  8. clip — for paper
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bass — low music
  11. clip — a video
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bass — the fish
  16. field — farmland
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. field — for sport
  23. safe — out of danger
  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