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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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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. charge — a price
  4. can — a tin
  5. clip — to cut
  6. dip — to sink
  7. wax — to grow
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. charge — electricity
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — boats
  13. clip — for paper
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. pop — soda
  16. charge — in control
  17. stand — to bear
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. clip — a video
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — to visit
  24. wax — in the ear

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