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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's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bulb — for light
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. clip — a video
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. pop — to visit
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. charge — in control
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. clip — to cut
  12. pop — soda
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pop — music
  18. charge — a price
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. clip — for paper
  21. charge — electricity
  22. sharp — clever
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — a division

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