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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. charge — electricity
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. cue — for pool
  6. charge — a price
  7. pop — to visit
  8. clip — a video
  9. cell — in biology
  10. clip — to cut
  11. cue — a signal
  12. pop — music
  13. cell — a phone
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. charge — in control
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — in sport
  21. cue — a hint
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. clip — for paper

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