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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. clip — to cut
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rule — a law
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. wake — a trail
  10. clip — for paper
  11. can — to be able to
  12. clip — a video
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wax — to grow
  16. rule — government
  17. can — a tin
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. can — a tin
  21. staff — employees
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. dip — a sauce

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