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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. tube — a container
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. clip — for paper
  10. fine — high quality
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. object — an aim
  13. suit — to fit
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. suit — clothes
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bulb — for light
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. clip — a video
  22. fine — all right
  23. object — a thing
  24. bowl — a football final

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