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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. saw — the tool
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pop — soda
  10. clip — for paper
  11. current — of water
  12. perch — the fish
  13. pop — to visit
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pop — music
  18. bulb — for light
  19. clip — to cut
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. clip — a video
  23. current — electric
  24. current — happening now

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