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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. clip — a video
  3. root — of a plant
  4. mug — a face
  5. board — to get on
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mug — to rob
  8. march — the month
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — to grow
  12. root — the cause
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. root — of a word
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. clip — for paper
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. rule — government
  22. board — a committee
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. wax — in the ear

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