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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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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: wax · snap · sharp · game · mug · clip · bound · bay

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. 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 — a video
  2. mug — a cup
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bound — certain
  5. game — a match
  6. bound — obliged
  7. clip — to cut
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. mug — to rob
  11. game — wild animals
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. wax — to grow
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. mug — a face
  18. bound — tied together
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. snap — to click
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. clip — for paper
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. 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