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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. clip — to cut
  3. charge — a price
  4. firm — a company
  5. charge — electricity
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. charge — in control
  9. present — there
  10. chest — of your body
  11. present — a gift
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — decided
  14. bass — the fish
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bass — low music
  17. clip — a video
  18. clip — for paper
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. chest — a box
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. chest — of your body

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