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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: face · mate · bulb · clip · chest · mouse · racket · toast

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. clip — a video
  3. bulb — for light
  4. clip — to cut
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. face — to point toward
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. toast — bread
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — of your body
  12. mate — to breed
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. face — part of the head
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. chest — a box
  18. mate — a partner
  19. clip — for paper
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. face — to confront
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. bulb — for light

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