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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — electricity
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mug — a face
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mug — a cup
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mug — to rob
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. rush — hurry
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — a video
  16. charge — a price
  17. clip — to cut
  18. rush — to hurry

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