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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: wax · object · clip · spell · fall · kick · mug · fan

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. mug — a cup
  3. clip — for paper
  4. kick — in football
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. spell — a short time
  7. clip — a video
  8. mug — to rob
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — an aim
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mug — a face
  19. clip — to cut
  20. spell — letters
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. object — to protest
  23. wax — to grow
  24. kick — a thrill

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