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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bank — for money
  4. clip — a video
  5. bank — for money
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wax — to grow
  9. clip — to cut
  10. charge — a price
  11. rule — a law
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. fork — in a road
  14. clip — for paper
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bank — of a river
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. charge — electricity
  21. rule — government
  22. cell — in biology
  23. charge — in control
  24. fork — to eat with

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