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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — help
  3. key — for a lock
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. fall — the season
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — a price
  10. clip — to cut
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. perch — the fish
  14. key — in music
  15. key — the most important part
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. clip — for paper
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. clip — a video
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — to hurry

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