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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. key — in music
  3. can — a tin
  4. fall — the season
  5. cue — a signal
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. suit — clothes
  9. cue — for pool
  10. key — the most important part
  11. cue — a hint
  12. branch — a division
  13. can — to be able to
  14. fall — to drop
  15. clip — a video
  16. bulb — for light
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. fall — to drop
  20. clip — for paper
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bulb — for light
  24. can — a tin

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