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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: sharp · pass · kick · roll · face · swing · clip · bulb

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. roll — a cake
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bulb — for light
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. clip — a video
  8. kick — in football
  9. sharp — clever
  10. swing — music
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. swing — in golf
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. face — to confront
  15. pass — a permit
  16. face — to point toward
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. roll — a list
  19. clip — to cut
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. clip — for paper
  24. bulb — for light

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