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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. clip — for paper
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. file — a document
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. last — to go on
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. pound — a weight
  14. last — finally
  15. clip — to cut
  16. last — final
  17. clip — a video
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. file — a line of people
  22. suit — to fit
  23. file — a tool
  24. bulb — for light

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