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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bulb — for light
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. clip — for paper
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. clip — a video
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. can — a tin
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bore — to tire
  15. track — a path
  16. spell — magic
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to drill
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bulb — for light
  21. track — to keep track
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. spell — letters
  24. clip — to cut

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