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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 120 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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. clip — to cut
  3. clip — a video
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. spell — magic
  6. wax — to grow
  7. race — the arms race
  8. spell — letters
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. race — a contest
  11. foot — a measure
  12. spell — a short time
  13. plane — a tool
  14. race — humankind
  15. sharp — clever
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. clip — for paper
  20. suit — in cards
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. suit — to fit
  24. foot — part of the body

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