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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 · present · clip · bulb · rule · mouse · nail · coach

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. present — the time now
  4. bulb — for light
  5. clip — for paper
  6. rule — government
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. clip — a video
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. present — a gift
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. clip — to cut
  20. rule — a law
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bulb — for light

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