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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: bear · lash · chip · drill · scale · fan · clip · wax

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. chip — to eat
  3. drill — a practice
  4. scale — in music
  5. clip — for paper
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wax — to grow
  8. drill — the tool
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. clip — to cut
  13. bear — the animal
  14. clip — a video
  15. chip — for betting
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. drill — army training
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. scale — size or range
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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