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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. clip — a video
  3. spell — magic
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. toast — bread
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — letters
  8. charge — a price
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bank — of a river
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to sink
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. clip — for paper
  18. saw — the tool
  19. charge — in control
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — for money
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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