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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bark · hide · season · bulb · clip · nail · plane · swing

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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. bulb — of a plant
  4. clip — a video
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. swing — to play on
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. season — of the year
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bulb — for light
  13. clip — for paper
  14. swing — in golf
  15. season — in sport
  16. plane — a tool
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. swing — music
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — to shout
  24. hide — animal skin

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