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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: season · lash · bulb · dip · clip · current · ruler · bound

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. bound — certain
  3. dip — to sink
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bound — obliged
  6. current — happening now
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. season — of the year
  9. current — electric
  10. season — in sport
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. current — of water
  13. clip — for paper
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. clip — a video
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bound — tied together
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. season — to add flavour

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