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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pop — music
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. band — a ring
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. rash — hasty
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bulb — for light
  15. lie — to recline
  16. rash — a series
  17. pop — soda
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. clip — to cut
  21. band — a music group
  22. clip — for paper
  23. clip — a video
  24. pop — to visit

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