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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 116 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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. clip — to cut
  3. face — to confront
  4. board — a committee
  5. charge — a price
  6. fine — all right
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. charge — in control
  9. squash — the sport
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. squash — to crush
  12. rush — hurry
  13. face — part of the head
  14. charge — electricity
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. clip — a video
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fine — high quality
  22. board — to get on
  23. face — to point toward
  24. calf — a young animal

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