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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: fall · game · spring · club · clip · foot · pass · wax

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. game — wild animals
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. foot — a measure
  5. club — a group
  6. spring — a coil
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. clip — to cut
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. fall — to drop
  11. club — for dancing
  12. spring — the season
  13. clip — a video
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. club — for golf
  16. pass — a permit
  17. spring — of water
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. game — a match
  22. clip — for paper
  23. fall — the season
  24. wax — to grow

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