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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.

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: chair · band · bulb · mouse · nail · mark · clip · hide

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. clip — to cut
  8. band — a music group
  9. bulb — for light
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. band — a ring
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chair — a leader
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — a trace
  22. clip — for paper
  23. clip — a video
  24. mouse — the animal

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