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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. board — to get on
  4. stock — goods
  5. clip — to cut
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. board — a committee
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — to grow
  15. stock — shares
  16. clip — a video
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. band — a ring
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. band — a music group
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. cabinet — ministers

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