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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. spell — a short time
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. wake — a trail
  8. spell — letters
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. chip — to eat
  15. suit — clothes
  16. clip — for paper
  17. clip — a video
  18. chair — a leader
  19. spell — magic
  20. rock — music
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. suit — to fit
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. suit — in cards

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