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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rock — a stone
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — a video
  5. charge — in control
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — letters
  8. current — of water
  9. clip — for paper
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. current — electric
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. current — happening now
  14. spell — a short time
  15. charge — a price
  16. roll — a cake
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — of the year
  21. rock — music
  22. charge — electricity
  23. season — in sport
  24. roll — a list

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