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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. bass — the fish
  3. clip — to cut
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. bass — low music
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — to get on
  13. clip — for paper
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — certain
  18. bulb — for light
  19. roll — a cake
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bear — the animal
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. clip — a video

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