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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. charge — electricity
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rock — music
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. wind — moving air
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. present — there
  14. charge — a price
  15. clip — a video
  16. clip — for paper
  17. wind — moving air
  18. board — a committee
  19. charge — in control
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. present — a gift
  22. clip — to cut
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. board — to get on

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