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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. object — a thing
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. clip — for paper
  5. last — to go on
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. last — finally
  11. pitch — completely
  12. object — to protest
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. last — final
  17. clip — a video
  18. clip — to cut
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — to grow
  24. object — an aim

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