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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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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: wax · bulb · object · chip · craft · hide · land · clip

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. object — an aim
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. clip — for paper
  5. bulb — for light
  6. land — to come down
  7. wax — to grow
  8. clip — a video
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. craft — a skill
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. chip — for betting
  17. object — to protest
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bulb — for light
  20. chip — to eat
  21. land — a country
  22. object — a thing
  23. craft — boats
  24. land — ground

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