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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 · game · pit · bear · arm · bulb · band · saw

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. bulb — for light
  3. clip — a video
  4. saw — the tool
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. clip — for paper
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bear — the animal
  12. band — a ring
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a music group
  16. bear — the animal
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bulb — for light
  19. game — a match
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. pit — in a race
  22. game — wild animals
  23. pit — a hole
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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