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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. lean — to bend
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. charge — electricity
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — to cut
  10. charge — a price
  11. bulb — for light
  12. clip — a video
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. charge — in control
  17. ball — a dance
  18. season — of the year
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bulb — for light
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. lean — thin

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