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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. row — to paddle
  3. clip — for paper
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. rash — a series
  6. pass — a permit
  7. clip — a video
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. clip — to cut
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. charge — electricity
  14. rash — hasty
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. row — a line
  17. snap — to click
  18. wind — moving air
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. charge — in control
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. charge — a price

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