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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bulb — for light
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a song
  6. clip — a video
  7. clip — to cut
  8. bore — to tire
  9. face — to point toward
  10. staff — employees
  11. clip — for paper
  12. bulb — for light
  13. staff — employees
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. face — to confront
  18. track — a path
  19. face — part of the head
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. staff — a stick
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. bulb — of a plant

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