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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 120 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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bulb — for light
  3. firm — a company
  4. tube — the underground
  5. clip — for paper
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. bulb — for light
  10. tube — a container
  11. can — to be able to
  12. chest — of your body
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. firm — decided
  15. chest — a box
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. clip — to cut
  24. clip — a video

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