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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bound — tied together
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bulb — for light
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bore — to drill
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bulb — for light
  12. present — a gift
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bound — obliged
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bound — certain
  18. charge — in control
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. mate — a partner
  21. present — there
  22. present — the time now
  23. charge — a price
  24. bore — to tire

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