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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. spell — a short time
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — crushed
  5. cue — a hint
  6. ground — the earth
  7. clip — a video
  8. clip — to cut
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. can — a tin
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. spell — magic
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. spell — letters
  15. lean — thin
  16. wax — to grow
  17. can — a tin
  18. clip — for paper
  19. cue — for pool
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. lean — to bend
  23. pitch — completely
  24. cue — a signal

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