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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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Word bank
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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. clip — a video
  3. chair — a leader
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. rash — a series
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. clip — to cut
  12. rash — hasty
  13. clip — for paper
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. chair — a professorship

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