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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 120 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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  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. branch — of a tree
  3. wake — a trail
  4. ball — a dance
  5. clip — a video
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. ball — a great time
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. clip — for paper
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wax — to grow
  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