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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: object · hide · clip · rash · bound · snap · bulb · pass

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. pass — a permit
  3. object — a thing
  4. bulb — for light
  5. clip — a video
  6. clip — to cut
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. clip — for paper
  9. object — to protest
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — hasty
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. object — an aim
  22. bound — tied together
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. snap — to click

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