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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. key — for a lock
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — in control
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. cell — in biology
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cell — a phone
  13. key — in music
  14. clip — to cut
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. charge — a price
  17. wind — moving air
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. clip — for paper
  21. key — the most important part
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. wind — moving air
  24. clip — a video

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