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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 · pop · cabinet · wax · drill · calf · present · current

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. clip — a video
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — electric
  5. pop — to visit
  6. wax — to grow
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. present — there
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. drill — a practice
  13. current — of water
  14. pop — music
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — the tool
  17. clip — to cut
  18. present — the time now
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pop — soda
  22. present — a gift
  23. clip — for paper
  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