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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: clip · calf · current · bowl · cell · bound · leaves · wax

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. clip — a video
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. current — of water
  6. bound — tied together
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. cell — in biology
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. clip — to cut
  15. wax — to grow
  16. cell — a phone
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. clip — for paper
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bound — certain
  22. current — electric
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. current — happening now

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