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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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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bore — to tire
  4. mark — a trace
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. clip — to cut
  7. clip — a video
  8. clip — for paper
  9. mug — a face
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mug — a cup
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — electricity
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. charge — in control
  18. bore — to drill

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