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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. clip — for paper
  3. charge — in control
  4. season — in sport
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — a price
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. land — a country
  9. lean — thin
  10. mug — a cup
  11. land — to come down
  12. clip — to cut
  13. lie — to recline
  14. mug — to rob
  15. pass — a permit
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mug — a face
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. land — ground
  22. season — of the year
  23. clip — a video
  24. pass — to succeed

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