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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 116 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  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. racket — for tennis
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. clip — a video
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. clip — for paper
  10. rock — music
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. clip — to cut
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. rock — a stone
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pass — a permit
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — in the ear
  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