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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bound — certain
  4. clip — a video
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bound — tied together
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. snap — to click
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. present — there
  11. present — a gift
  12. tube — a container
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. clip — to cut
  15. clip — for paper
  16. present — the time now
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bound — obliged
  19. rash — a series
  20. tube — the underground
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. rash — hasty
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. safe — out of danger

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