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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · clip · foot · bore · object · snap · safe · wax

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. snap — to click
  3. bore — to tire
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. clip — for paper
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fine — high quality
  10. object — a thing
  11. clip — to cut
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. object — an aim
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. foot — a measure
  19. fine — all right
  20. object — to protest
  21. clip — a video
  22. bore — to drill
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — for sculpting

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