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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · squash · trunk · bulb · pitcher · fan · rash · clip

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. squash — the sport
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. clip — a video
  13. squash — to crush
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — a series
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. clip — for paper

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