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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. mug — to rob
  4. clip — a video
  5. clip — to cut
  6. fine — all right
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. band — a music group
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. plane — a tool
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. band — a ring
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. tube — the underground
  17. mug — a face
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bulb — for light
  20. tube — a container
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fine — high quality
  24. band — a rubber band

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