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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  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. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. net — for catching
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. clip — a video
  11. net — in sport
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mate — a partner
  14. net — after costs
  15. bulb — for light
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bass — low music
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bass — the fish
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mate — a friend
  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