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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: saw · clip · cap · dip · mug · fan · wax · deal

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. clip — a video
  3. deal — to handle
  4. dip — to sink
  5. mug — to rob
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mug — a cup
  12. saw — the tool
  13. cap — of ice
  14. mug — a face
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cap — a lid
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wax — to grow
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. clip — to cut
  22. cap — a hat
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. fan — to cool the air

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