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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: bulb · deal · lean · clip · trunk · cabinet · rule · net

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rule — a law
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. lean — thin
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. net — after costs
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. net — in sport
  13. clip — a video
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bulb — for light
  19. lean — to bend
  20. rule — government
  21. net — for catching
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. clip — for paper

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