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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 · land · clip · bay · wave · foot · kick · bulb

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. foot — a measure
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. land — ground
  5. bulb — for light
  6. clip — for paper
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. clip — to cut
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. clip — a video
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. land — a country
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. kick — in football
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. land — to come down

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