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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. clip — to cut
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — to grow
  9. clip — a video
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. shower — rain
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. shower — to wash
  14. clip — for paper
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. prune — to trim
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. pitch — completely
  24. calf — a young animal

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