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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: bulb · snap · pop · clip · deal · cabinet · foot · lean

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. lean — thin
  3. pop — soda
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. clip — for paper
  7. pop — to visit
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. clip — a video
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. pop — music
  12. clip — to cut
  13. snap — to click
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bulb — for light
  16. foot — a measure
  17. lean — to bend
  18. deal — to handle
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bulb — for light
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. deal — a big deal

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