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

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. file — a line of people
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. file — a document
  9. charge — electricity
  10. pound — a weight
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. snap — to click
  14. clip — to cut
  15. charge — in control
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. file — a tool
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. clip — a video
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. straw — a straw man

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