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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 120 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: tube · mouse · bound · fall · present · bulb · branch · clip

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  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. clip — a video
  2. bound — tied together
  3. fall — the season
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. clip — for paper
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. branch — a division
  15. bound — certain
  16. tube — the underground
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — a gift
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bound — obliged
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. tube — a container
  23. present — there
  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