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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. chest — of your body
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. chest — a box
  6. charge — in control
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. club — for dancing
  11. chest — of your body
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — electricity
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. pass — a permit
  18. clip — a video
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. club — for golf
  21. clip — to cut
  22. clip — for paper
  23. kick — in football
  24. club — a group

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