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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. band — a ring
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. clip — for paper
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. band — a music group
  7. kid — child
  8. fine — high quality
  9. kid — to tease
  10. fine — all right
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. clip — a video
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. face — part of the head
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. face — to point toward
  22. clip — to cut
  23. bulb — for light
  24. face — to confront

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