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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. dip — to sink
  4. spell — letters
  5. clip — for paper
  6. spell — a short time
  7. can — a tin
  8. spell — magic
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. clip — to cut
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. can — a tin
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rule — government
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. can — to be able to
  23. wax — to grow
  24. clip — a video

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