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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. clip — a video
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. last — finally
  6. last — final
  7. rock — a stone
  8. board — a committee
  9. spring — of water
  10. charge — a price
  11. clip — to cut
  12. last — to go on
  13. shower — to wash
  14. spring — a coil
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. shower — rain
  17. charge — electricity
  18. rock — music
  19. clip — for paper
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. spring — the season
  24. charge — in control

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