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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. rash — hasty
  2. firm — steady
  3. charge — electricity
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. track — a song
  6. firm — decided
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. clip — for paper
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rash — a series
  11. charge — a price
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. clip — a video
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. charge — in control
  19. track — to keep track
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. firm — a company
  22. track — a path
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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