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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: mouse · clip · stick · can · roll · wax · sharp · bear

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. bear — the animal
  3. clip — for paper
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. clip — to cut
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. clip — a video
  12. wax — to grow
  13. can — a tin
  14. roll — a cake
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. can — a tin
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. can — to be able to
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. roll — a list

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