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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pop — to visit
  4. clip — to cut
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. clip — for paper
  9. bulb — for light
  10. hand — help
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. clip — a video
  19. hand — in cards
  20. pop — soda
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. pop — music
  23. lie — to recline
  24. cabinet — ministers

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