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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. roll — a cake
  4. bulb — for light
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. clip — for paper
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. clip — a video
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. roll — a list
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. charge — a price
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bulb — for light
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. saw — the tool
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — electricity

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