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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: bear · lean · arm · track · clip · rest · mouse · bulb

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bear — the animal
  4. track — a song
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. clip — a video
  9. clip — to cut
  10. track — a path
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. track — to keep track
  13. lean — thin
  14. clip — for paper
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. rest — what's left
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rest — a break
  24. lean — to bend

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