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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — a video
  5. kick — in football
  6. bound — certain
  7. pop — soda
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bound — tied together
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pop — music
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bulb — for light
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bore — to drill
  21. clip — for paper
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bound — obliged
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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