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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. wax — to grow
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. clip — to cut
  7. rest — a break
  8. spell — a short time
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fork — in a road
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. spell — letters
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. clip — a video
  23. clip — for paper
  24. mark — a grade

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