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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: pop · lean · ruler · present · bulb · march · foot · clip

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. lean — to bend
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. pop — soda
  5. present — the time now
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. bulb — for light
  9. clip — a video
  10. march — music
  11. pop — music
  12. bulb — for light
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. present — there
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. march — the month
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. clip — for paper
  20. pop — to visit
  21. lean — thin
  22. march — the month
  23. present — a gift
  24. ruler — for measuring

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