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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 120 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 seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. charge — electricity
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. object — a thing
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to click
  7. tube — the underground
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — in control
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. clip — a video
  12. object — to protest
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. chest — a box
  16. clip — for paper
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chest — of your body
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. tube — a container
  23. object — an aim
  24. chair — a leader

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