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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. firm — steady
  3. last — finally
  4. last — final
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mug — a cup
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. clip — a video
  11. last — to go on
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. clip — for paper
  14. firm — a company
  15. charge — electricity
  16. firm — decided
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. clip — to cut
  19. charge — a price
  20. fall — the season
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — to rob
  24. fall — to drop

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