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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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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 · deal · fall · root · season · clip · stick · fork

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  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. clip — to cut
  2. root — the cause
  3. clip — for paper
  4. clip — a video
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. season — of the year
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wax — to grow
  11. fall — to drop
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. fork — in a road
  14. deal — to handle
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fall — the season
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — of a plant
  19. fall — to drop
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. season — in sport
  23. deal — an agreement
  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