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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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. fork — in a road
  4. object — a thing
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — a video
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. land — to come down
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bulb — for light
  17. land — a country
  18. scale — in music
  19. kick — in football
  20. object — to protest
  21. bulb — for light
  22. clip — for paper
  23. scale — size or range
  24. object — an aim

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