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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — hurry
  4. clip — to cut
  5. firm — a company
  6. clip — a video
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bulb — for light
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. key — in music
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ground — crushed
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rest — what's left
  16. key — the most important part
  17. rest — what's left
  18. firm — steady
  19. clip — for paper
  20. rest — a break
  21. ground — the earth
  22. firm — decided
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bulb — for light

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