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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
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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 · stick · game · trunk · chair · wax · ruler · spell

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. spell — magic
  5. game — a match
  6. clip — a video
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. spell — letters
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. game — wild animals
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. clip — to cut
  18. clip — for paper
  19. chair — a leader
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. spell — a short time
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — for sculpting

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