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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 120 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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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: fork · mouse · bulb · rest · rule · key · clip · wake

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rule — a law
  3. clip — a video
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. key — the most important part
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rest — what's left
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. clip — to cut
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rule — government
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fork — in a road
  18. wake — a trail
  19. key — in music
  20. rest — a break
  21. clip — for paper
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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