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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. clip — for paper
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rock — a stone
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rock — music
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. clip — to cut
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. bulb — for light
  18. prune — to trim
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. clip — a video
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. prune — to trim

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