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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. spell — letters
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bulb — for light
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. spell — a short time
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. clip — to cut
  16. branch — a division
  17. clip — a video
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. clip — for paper
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. kick — in football

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