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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bark — to shout
  8. wound — an injury
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mate — a partner
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — steady
  17. suit — to fit
  18. mate — a friend
  19. clip — for paper
  20. firm — a company
  21. clip — a video
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. mate — to breed
  24. clip — to cut

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