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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. swing — music
  3. mark — a trace
  4. swing — in golf
  5. clip — to cut
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. clip — for paper
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a committee
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. clip — a video
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. swing — to play on
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. pound — a weight
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. pound — to hit hard

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