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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. suit — in cards
  3. wake — a trail
  4. rest — what's left
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. suit — to fit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. press — newspapers
  13. clip — for paper
  14. press — to push
  15. dip — to sink
  16. clip — a video
  17. rest — what's left
  18. press — a publisher
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. rest — a break
  21. suit — clothes
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wax — to grow

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