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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bear — the animal
  4. current — of water
  5. clip — to cut
  6. wound — an injury
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. current — electric
  9. clip — for paper
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. wound — an injury
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. current — happening now
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. board — to get on
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bulb — for light
  24. board — a committee

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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