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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stem — to come from
  4. dip — to sink
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. cue — a signal
  7. clip — to cut
  8. rule — government
  9. cue — for pool
  10. tube — the underground
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bulb — for light
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — a container
  15. clip — for paper
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — clever
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. cue — a hint
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — to rule out

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