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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: bulb · track · clip · sharp · pound · calf · patient · cabinet

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. clip — a video
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. track — a song
  6. bulb — for light
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. clip — to cut
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. pound — a weight
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. sharp — clever
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. clip — for paper
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. track — to keep track

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