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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. clip — a video
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bulb — for light
  7. suit — in cards
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. clip — for paper
  11. branch — a division
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — child
  14. clip — to cut
  15. suit — to fit
  16. current — happening now
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. current — of water
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. current — electric
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. fan — a supporter

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