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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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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: calf · rest · clip · cabinet · lie · straw · wax · fork

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fork — in a road
  4. rest — a break
  5. lie — to recline
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — to grow
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. clip — to cut
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. rest — what's left
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. clip — for paper

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