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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cabinet · mate · dip · lie · wax · present · bulb · clip

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. mate — to breed
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bulb — for light
  5. clip — a video
  6. present — there
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. mate — a partner
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bulb — for light
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. present — a gift
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. clip — for paper
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lie — to recline
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. clip — to cut

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