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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
468
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 · plane · racket · scale · hide · clip · safe · kid

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. kid — child
  3. clip — a video
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. plane — a tool
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. clip — for paper
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. scale — in music
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. kid — to tease
  15. scale — size or range
  16. clip — to cut
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bulb — for light
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. plane — an aircraft

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