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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: wake · bass · cabinet · bank · trunk · clip · squash · bulb

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bulb — for light
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bank — of a river
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bass — low music
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bulb — for light
  15. clip — for paper
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bank — for money
  21. bass — the fish
  22. wake — a trail
  23. clip — to cut
  24. bank — for money

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