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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. clip — a video
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. wax — to grow
  8. drill — army training
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. drill — a practice
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. tear — from crying
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. clip — to cut
  16. pitch — completely
  17. drill — the tool
  18. mark — a trace
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a grade
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. tear — to rip

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