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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: clip · mark · game · calf · toast · bound · wax · suit

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. clip — for paper
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — tied together
  5. suit — to fit
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — a grade
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bound — obliged
  13. clip — a video
  14. game — a match
  15. toast — bread
  16. game — wild animals
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. wax — to grow
  19. suit — in cards
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. suit — clothes
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. clip — to cut

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