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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. clip — a video
  4. ground — the earth
  5. rock — a stone
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. clip — for paper
  8. row — to paddle
  9. rock — music
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. clip — to cut
  12. ground — a position
  13. cap — a hat
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — a line
  16. cap — of ice
  17. deal — to handle
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wax — to grow
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. ground — crushed

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