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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: clip · wind · chair · mark · bulb · arm · rash · mouse

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bulb — for light
  4. clip — to cut
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rash — a series
  8. wind — moving air
  9. clip — a video
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. clip — for paper
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mark — a grade
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. wind — moving air
  18. chair — a leader
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mark — to pay attention

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