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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. drill — the tool
  4. club — a group
  5. clip — for paper
  6. bulb — for light
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. drill — army training
  10. club — for dancing
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. clip — a video
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. club — for golf
  18. drill — a practice
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — the underground
  23. leaves — to go away
  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