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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. row — to paddle
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. clip — a video
  5. season — of the year
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. can — a tin
  9. bulb — for light
  10. can — to be able to
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. row — a line
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. wake — a trail
  18. saw — the tool
  19. clip — for paper
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. can — a tin
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — in sport
  24. wax — to grow

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