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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: wind · cabinet · charge · stick · bulb · coach · clip · fan

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. clip — for paper
  4. charge — a price
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wind — moving air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bulb — for light
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. charge — electricity
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. clip — to cut
  22. charge — in control
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bulb — for light

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