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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 120 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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. clip — to cut
  3. bass — the fish
  4. suit — to fit
  5. current — happening now
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bound — certain
  8. suit — in cards
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a song
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. current — of water
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bulb — for light
  16. track — a path
  17. clip — a video
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. clip — for paper
  20. bass — low music
  21. suit — clothes
  22. current — electric
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bound — obliged

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