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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  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. lie — to recline
  2. cell — a phone
  3. charge — electricity
  4. clip — a video
  5. branch — a division
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. clip — to cut
  8. charge — a price
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. charge — in control
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cell — in biology
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. deal — to handle
  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