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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: clip · dip · arm · craft · bulb · nail · rule · pitch

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. clip — for paper
  3. rule — government
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. clip — a video
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. craft — boats
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. clip — to cut
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. craft — a skill
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to sink
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. pitch — completely
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. rule — a law
  24. dip — to dunk

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