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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: mark · ball · calf · leaves · clip · bulb · bowl · rush

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. clip — to cut
  3. clip — a video
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. clip — for paper
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. rush — hurry
  16. ball — a great time
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. ball — a dance
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. calf — a young 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