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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — a short time
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. charge — a price
  6. clip — a video
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. charge — in control
  9. cue — a signal
  10. sharp — clever
  11. spell — magic
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — to protest
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. charge — electricity
  17. cue — for pool
  18. clip — for paper
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. branch — a division
  22. object — a thing
  23. clip — to cut
  24. branch — of a bank

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