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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. clip — for paper
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. fine — all right
  5. clip — a video
  6. shower — rain
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. pit — in a race
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. fine — high quality
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. toast — bread

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