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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. clip — a video
  4. pop — soda
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. pop — music
  9. clip — for paper
  10. pop — to visit
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — a cup
  13. rest — what's left
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mug — to rob
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rest — what's left
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bulb — for light
  22. plane — a tool
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rest — a break

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