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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. clip — a video
  4. mug — a face
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. mug — to rob
  8. clip — to cut
  9. perch — the fish
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bear — the animal
  12. current — of water
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bear — the animal
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bulb — for light
  19. clip — for paper
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — electric
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bat — the animal

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