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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 116 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. clip — to cut
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — in a road
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wax — to grow
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. clip — a video
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. staff — a stick
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. clip — for paper
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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