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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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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. wax — to grow
  3. chip — for betting
  4. spell — a short time
  5. clip — a video
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bank — for money
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. spell — letters
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. firm — a company
  14. spell — magic
  15. clip — to cut
  16. firm — steady
  17. bank — for money
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. firm — decided
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. stand — to bear
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bank — of a river

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