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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.

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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: sharp · fall · clip · wax · foot · pitcher · roll · charge

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. sharp — clever
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. wax — to grow
  6. clip — a video
  7. roll — a list
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. charge — in control
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. clip — to cut
  13. fall — the season
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. charge — a price
  17. fall — to drop
  18. clip — for paper
  19. charge — electricity
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. roll — a cake
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. fall — to drop

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