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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 116 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: bulb · fine · clip · hide · staff · rest · branch · tube

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  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. fine — all right
  2. rest — what's left
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fine — high quality
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. rest — what's left
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. clip — a video
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. staff — employees
  14. rest — a break
  15. bulb — for light
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. staff — employees
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. clip — for paper
  21. clip — to cut
  22. tube — a container
  23. staff — a stick
  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