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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. clip — to cut
  7. race — a contest
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. clip — for paper
  11. clip — a video
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. race — humankind
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. present — there
  16. present — the time now
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — a short time
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bulb — for light
  21. spell — magic
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. race — the arms race
  24. present — a gift

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