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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. clip — for paper
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. clip — a video
  5. bound — certain
  6. suit — in cards
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bound — tied together
  9. cap — a hat
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. clip — to cut
  16. bound — obliged
  17. perch — the fish
  18. wake — a trail
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. suit — to fit
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bulb — for light
  24. ruler — for measuring

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