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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: clip · squash · stand · bulb · snap · band · spell · capital

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — letters
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. capital — a city
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. spell — magic
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. clip — for paper
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. band — a music group
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bulb — for light
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. band — a ring
  18. capital — money
  19. snap — to click
  20. bulb — for light
  21. squash — the sport
  22. stand — to bear
  23. clip — to cut
  24. squash — to crush

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