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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. drill — a practice
  3. stem — to come from
  4. suit — to fit
  5. rock — music
  6. charge — electricity
  7. suit — in cards
  8. clip — for paper
  9. chip — for betting
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — in control
  12. drill — army training
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. drill — the tool
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. season — in sport
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. clip — to cut
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. chip — to eat
  22. season — of the year
  23. clip — a video
  24. rock — a stone

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