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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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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: saw · bulb · bark · clip · mouse · deal · file · arm

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bulb — for light
  4. saw — the tool
  5. clip — for paper
  6. file — a tool
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — to shout
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. clip — to cut
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. clip — a video
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. saw — the tool

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