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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. season — in sport
  4. clip — to cut
  5. clip — a video
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. season — of the year
  8. cap — a hat
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. cap — a lid
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. clip — for paper
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. cap — of ice

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