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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. clip — to cut
  4. charge — a price
  5. chest — a box
  6. rock — a stone
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. charge — electricity
  9. rush — hurry
  10. pop — soda
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. chest — of your body
  14. clip — a video
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. chest — of your body
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. pop — music
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. clip — for paper
  21. rock — music
  22. charge — in control
  23. toast — bread
  24. pop — to visit

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