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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. clip — to cut
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — a price
  5. spell — letters
  6. clip — a video
  7. board — a committee
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. rash — a series
  10. tube — the underground
  11. spell — a short time
  12. charge — electricity
  13. fine — high quality
  14. spell — magic
  15. board — to get on
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. rash — hasty
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. clip — for paper
  22. fine — all right
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. tube — in a tire

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