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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. wound — an injury
  3. clip — for paper
  4. clip — a video
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. charge — electricity
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bound — tied together
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. bound — obliged
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bound — certain
  15. pit — a hole
  16. charge — in control
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bear — the animal
  22. charge — a price
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wax — for sculpting

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