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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. object — a thing
  3. clip — to cut
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. kid — child
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. cue — a signal
  11. lie — to recline
  12. cue — for pool
  13. fine — all right
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. cue — a hint
  16. kid — to tease
  17. stand — to bear
  18. clip — a video
  19. wax — to grow
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fine — high quality
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — to protest
  24. stand — on your feet

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