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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. shower — to wash
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — a video
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — certain
  12. bank — for money
  13. clip — for paper
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. charge — in control
  17. shower — rain
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. bank — for money
  21. charge — a price
  22. bank — of a river
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. charge — electricity

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