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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: fall · hide · wax · racket · bank · fan · clip · chair

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. clip — to cut
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. clip — a video
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bank — for money
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. fall — the season
  11. bank — of a river
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. clip — for paper
  15. wax — to grow
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bank — for money
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. chair — a leader
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. racket — a loud noise

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