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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. clip — for paper
  3. clip — a video
  4. mug — a face
  5. current — of water
  6. pit — a hole
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. can — a tin
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. mug — to rob
  13. clip — to cut
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mug — a cup
  16. current — electric
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. can — a tin
  20. current — happening now
  21. wax — to grow
  22. pit — in a race
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. can — to be able to

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