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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 124 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. date — the fruit
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — to get on
  5. clip — for paper
  6. board — a committee
  7. tear — to rip
  8. bulb — for light
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. snap — to click
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. pop — music
  15. clip — to cut
  16. bulb — for light
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. clip — a video
  19. tear — from crying
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — soda

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