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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a great time
  4. clip — a video
  5. object — to protest
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. object — a thing
  10. court — of law
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. ball — a dance
  14. clip — to cut
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. court — of a king
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wax — to grow
  21. object — an aim
  22. court — for sport
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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