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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. clip — for paper
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. chip — to eat
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. board — to get on
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. cell — in biology
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. clip — to cut
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wax — to grow
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. chip — for betting
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. cell — a phone
  23. clip — a video
  24. wax — for sculpting

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