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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.

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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: mouse · clip · cell · calf · bulb · stick · pass · net

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. clip — to cut
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. clip — a video
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. net — after costs
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. cell — in biology
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. net — for catching
  16. bulb — for light
  17. net — in sport
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cell — a phone
  20. clip — for paper
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mouse — the animal

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