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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fine · root · can · kick · clip · wax

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. root — of a word
  3. can — a tin
  4. fine — high quality
  5. kick — in football
  6. root — of a plant
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. fine — all right
  10. root — the cause
  11. wax — to grow
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. clip — a video
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. clip — to cut
  18. wax — in the ear

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