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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 partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. suit — clothes
  3. charge — electricity
  4. clip — to cut
  5. ground — crushed
  6. present — the time now
  7. clip — for paper
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — electric
  10. present — a gift
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — a price
  13. kick — in football
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. current — of water
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. ground — the earth
  19. suit — in cards
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. ground — a position
  22. clip — a video
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. suit — to fit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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