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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — soda
  4. bear — the animal
  5. charge — in control
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bank — of a river
  8. staff — employees
  9. bank — for money
  10. clip — for paper
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. staff — employees
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. pop — to visit
  16. charge — a price
  17. clip — to cut
  18. snap — to click
  19. bank — for money
  20. saw — the tool
  21. clip — a video
  22. bear — the animal
  23. staff — a stick
  24. charge — electricity

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