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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. clip — a video
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. cell — a phone
  7. drill — army training
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. clip — for paper
  12. press — a publisher
  13. deal — to handle
  14. press — newspapers
  15. clip — to cut
  16. bulb — for light
  17. club — for golf
  18. press — to push
  19. drill — a practice
  20. club — a group
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. club — for dancing

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