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

Word bank: wind · clip · cell · roll · bulb · nail · club · safe

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. clip — a video
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. clip — to cut
  7. cell — in biology
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bulb — for light
  11. clip — for paper
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cell — a phone
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — a group
  17. wind — moving air
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. roll — a list
  20. wind — moving air
  21. roll — a cake
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. club — for golf

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