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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 124 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: calf · scale · clip · snap · wax · stand · bound · content

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. content — the amount
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. content — happy
  8. stand — to bear
  9. snap — to click
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — size or range
  12. bound — tied together
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. scale — in music
  15. clip — to cut
  16. bound — obliged
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. clip — for paper
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bound — certain
  24. wax — to grow

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