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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: bulb · clip · trunk · mug · snap · temple · rule · fine

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. fine — all right
  3. bulb — for light
  4. clip — a video
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bulb — for light
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. rule — government
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. mug — a cup
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. mug — to rob
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. mug — a face
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. rule — a law
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. clip — for paper
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. clip — to cut

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