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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: mouse · march · jam · clip · bulb · calf · can · leaves

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. march — music
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. can — a tin
  5. clip — a video
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. march — the month
  9. can — a tin
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. clip — for paper
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. can — to be able to
  15. march — the month
  16. bulb — for light
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. clip — to cut
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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