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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 116 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. firm — decided
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — thin
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. squash — to crush
  9. clip — a video
  10. firm — a company
  11. chip — for betting
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bear — the animal
  14. squash — the sport
  15. net — in sport
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. lean — to bend
  18. firm — steady
  19. net — for catching
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bulb — for light
  23. net — after costs
  24. clip — for paper

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