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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 116 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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. last — finally
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. clip — a video
  5. bulb — for light
  6. can — a tin
  7. rule — a law
  8. bass — the fish
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. tube — the underground
  13. can — a tin
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. last — to go on
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — a cup
  19. rule — government
  20. can — to be able to
  21. clip — to cut
  22. clip — for paper
  23. last — final
  24. bass — low music

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