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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. clip — to cut
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — rain
  5. swing — in golf
  6. clip — a video
  7. track — a song
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. lean — thin
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — a committee
  13. track — a path
  14. clip — for paper
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. swing — to play on
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bulb — for light
  19. track — to keep track
  20. lean — to bend
  21. board — to get on
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. swing — music
  24. shower — to wash

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