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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
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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: pit · firm · bulb · pop · bound · snap · clip · hide

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pop — music
  3. bound — certain
  4. bulb — for light
  5. firm — a company
  6. bound — tied together
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. clip — a video
  9. pop — soda
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. snap — to click
  13. pit — in a race
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. firm — steady
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — to cut
  19. firm — decided
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bound — obliged
  24. hide — animal skin

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