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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
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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: shower · craft · mouse · clip · safe · prune · bulb · rule

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. clip — to cut
  3. bulb — for light
  4. clip — for paper
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. craft — a skill
  7. shower — to wash
  8. rule — a law
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. clip — a video
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rule — government
  17. shower — rain
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bulb — for light
  22. craft — boats
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. mouse — for a computer

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