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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. clip — for paper
  3. clip — a video
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. clip — to cut
  6. face — to point toward
  7. saw — the tool
  8. land — to come down
  9. bank — for money
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to confront
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. saw — the tool
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bank — for money
  19. land — ground
  20. land — a country
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bulb — for light
  24. patient — a sick person

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