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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. cue — a signal
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — a video
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wake — a trail
  7. file — a line of people
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. file — a document
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. cue — for pool
  15. file — a tool
  16. wax — to grow
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bulb — for light
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. clip — for paper
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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