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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bound — certain
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. clip — a video
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. can — a tin
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bound — obliged
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. charge — in control
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. charge — a price
  17. bound — tied together
  18. can — a tin
  19. pound — a weight
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. clip — for paper
  22. can — to be able to
  23. plane — a tool
  24. clip — to cut

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