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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. file — a line of people
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mug — a cup
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. clip — a video
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. mug — a face
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wax — to grow
  14. file — a document
  15. clip — for paper
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. pound — a weight
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. file — a tool
  24. bulb — of a plant

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