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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 · saw · tube · mug · vault · clip · hand · bulb

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. clip — for paper
  4. clip — a video
  5. tube — the underground
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. saw — the tool
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. saw — the tool
  13. clip — to cut
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. hand — help
  17. mug — a cup
  18. vault — a safe
  19. mug — to rob
  20. tube — a container
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. hand — in cards
  23. mug — a face
  24. mouse — the animal

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