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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. deal — to handle
  3. charge — in control
  4. clip — a video
  5. clip — to cut
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bound — tied together
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. dip — to sink
  12. row — a line
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. row — to paddle
  15. bound — obliged
  16. charge — a price
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. clip — for paper
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bound — certain

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