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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 · drill · toast · leaves · season · file · bulb · bear

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. file — a line of people
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. drill — the tool
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — of the year
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. file — a document
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. drill — a practice
  13. file — a tool
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — to cut
  16. season — in sport
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. drill — army training
  19. clip — a video
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. toast — bread
  23. bear — the animal
  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