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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. cue — a hint
  3. can — a tin
  4. current — happening now
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. cue — a signal
  7. craft — boats
  8. mug — to rob
  9. clip — a video
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. clip — to cut
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. mug — a face
  16. current — of water
  17. cue — for pool
  18. craft — a skill
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. current — electric
  23. clip — for paper
  24. mug — a cup

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