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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 120 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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. scale — in music
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. clip — a video
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. scale — size or range
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. clip — for paper
  17. mark — a grade
  18. kick — in football
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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