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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. pound — a weight
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. clip — to cut
  5. clip — for paper
  6. clip — a video
  7. firm — a company
  8. key — in music
  9. charge — in control
  10. firm — decided
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. rule — a law
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. charge — electricity
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. charge — a price
  20. dip — to sink
  21. rule — government
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — for a lock

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