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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: mug · row · mouse · clip · wave · wax · rash · jam

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. clip — a video
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. mug — a cup
  6. rash — hasty
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. clip — for paper
  9. mug — to rob
  10. row — to paddle
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. clip — to cut
  14. row — a line
  15. mug — a face
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wax — to grow
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. rash — a series

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