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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. clip — to cut
  3. drill — the tool
  4. can — a tin
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. drill — army training
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — help
  11. clip — for paper
  12. clip — a video
  13. march — music
  14. bear — the animal
  15. march — the month
  16. can — to be able to
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. rule — a law
  19. bear — the animal
  20. can — a tin
  21. rule — government
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bear — to put up with
  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