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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rest — a break
  4. spell — magic
  5. ground — crushed
  6. spell — a short time
  7. clip — to cut
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bulb — for light
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. charge — a price
  13. chip — for betting
  14. ground — a position
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. spell — letters
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — in control
  19. clip — for paper
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. clip — a video
  23. snap — to click
  24. chip — to eat

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