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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. clip — a video
  3. foot — a measure
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — obliged
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. object — to protest
  8. clip — for paper
  9. bound — certain
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. object — an aim
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. wax — to grow
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bulb — for light
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. object — a thing
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. fork — in a road
  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