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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 · wax · hide · nail · dip · swing · fine · bulb

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. clip — for paper
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. swing — to play on
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. clip — to cut
  12. swing — in golf
  13. fine — all right
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. swing — music
  19. dip — to sink
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bulb — for light
  22. clip — a video
  23. wax — to grow
  24. nail — for a hammer

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