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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. root — of a word
  4. ball — a dance
  5. object — an aim
  6. chip — for betting
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. root — of a plant
  9. object — to protest
  10. ball — a great time
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. clip — for paper
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wax — to grow
  17. root — the cause
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. chip — to eat
  20. clip — a video
  21. object — a thing
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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