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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: date · clip · cabinet · snap · bulb · bowl · foot · branch

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — a measure
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. branch — a division
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. clip — for paper
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. date — the fruit
  14. clip — a video
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bulb — for light
  18. snap — to click
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bulb — for light
  24. date — on the calendar

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