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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: clip · pass · field · suit · wax · rule · staff · wound

  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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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. suit — clothes
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. clip — for paper
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. clip — a video
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. suit — in cards
  11. pass — a permit
  12. staff — a stick
  13. rule — government
  14. wound — an injury
  15. staff — employees
  16. field — a subject
  17. rule — a law
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. staff — employees
  20. field — for sport
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. suit — to fit
  23. field — farmland
  24. wound — an injury

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