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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. clip — for paper
  3. clip — to cut
  4. track — a path
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. rest — what's left
  7. clip — a video
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. rest — a break
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. charge — electricity
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. track — a song
  16. track — to keep track
  17. cell — a phone
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — a price
  24. leaves — lets stay

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