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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: ball · present · object · clip · rush · row · snap · wax

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. row — a line
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. clip — for paper
  9. snap — to click
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. row — to paddle
  13. object — to protest
  14. clip — to cut
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — there
  18. present — a gift
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. ball — a dance
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — a thing
  24. wax — to grow

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