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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. key — in music
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bulb — for light
  6. clip — a video
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. clip — for paper
  11. hand — help
  12. mug — a cup
  13. clip — to cut
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rash — a series
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bulb — for light
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. mug — to rob
  20. current — electric
  21. current — of water
  22. hand — in cards
  23. current — happening now
  24. mug — a face

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