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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. clip — to cut
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. clip — for paper
  5. game — wild animals
  6. charge — electricity
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. firm — steady
  11. face — part of the head
  12. game — a match
  13. firm — decided
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. clip — a video
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. firm — a company
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. face — to point toward
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. charge — in control
  24. face — to confront

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