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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. clip — a video
  4. scale — size or range
  5. kid — child
  6. kid — to tease
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bulb — for light
  9. clip — for paper
  10. clip — to cut
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bulb — for light
  13. scale — in music
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. suit — in cards
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wax — to grow

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