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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 120 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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. perch — the fish
  4. tube — the underground
  5. clip — for paper
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bound — certain
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. clip — a video
  12. bound — tied together
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. tube — a container
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. press — to push
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bound — obliged
  22. clip — to cut
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  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