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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bulb — for light
  3. content — the amount
  4. clip — a video
  5. clip — to cut
  6. mug — a face
  7. cap — a hat
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. march — the month
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cap — of ice
  13. mug — to rob
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. cap — a lid
  16. march — the month
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. march — music
  19. mug — a cup
  20. stem — to come from
  21. clip — for paper
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — happy
  24. bulb — for light

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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