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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. suit — to fit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bulb — for light
  9. clip — for paper
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. suit — in cards
  12. clip — a video
  13. suit — clothes
  14. mine — for digging
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. kid — to tease
  20. clip — to cut
  21. kid — child
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. prune — the fruit

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