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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 120 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: clip · wax · mug · track · face · cap · sharp · bulb

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. face — part of the head
  3. mug — a cup
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. track — a song
  9. mug — a face
  10. face — to point toward
  11. clip — a video
  12. track — a path
  13. cap — a hat
  14. clip — for paper
  15. cap — of ice
  16. track — to keep track
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bulb — for light
  19. clip — to cut
  20. mug — to rob
  21. face — to confront
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. wax — in the ear

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