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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.

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

Word bank: wax · pass · can · clip · rule · wake

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. clip — to cut
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. clip — a video
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. rule — government
  12. can — a tin
  13. wake — a trail
  14. rule — a law
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. pass — a permit
  18. clip — for paper

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