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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. tube — a container
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. shower — rain
  5. clip — a video
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. can — a tin
  8. wax — to grow
  9. rush — hurry
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. hand — help
  13. tube — the underground
  14. can — to be able to
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. hand — in cards
  18. can — a tin
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — of water
  21. current — electric
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. clip — for paper
  24. shower — to wash

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