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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. spring — a coil
  4. clip — a video
  5. bulb — for light
  6. race — a contest
  7. spring — of water
  8. clip — for paper
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. root — of a word
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. pass — a permit
  13. race — humankind
  14. spring — the season
  15. root — the cause
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bulb — for light
  18. chair — a leader
  19. root — of a plant
  20. race — the arms race
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. chair — a professorship

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