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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 116 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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. clip — to cut
  3. can — to be able to
  4. clip — a video
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. prune — to trim
  8. hand — help
  9. can — a tin
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — a permit
  12. hand — in cards
  13. chip — for betting
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. wax — to grow
  17. prune — to trim
  18. clip — for paper
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. can — a tin
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. chip — to eat

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