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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  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. clip — to cut
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. board — to get on
  4. clip — a video
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — a partner
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. charge — a price
  12. rush — hurry
  13. season — of the year
  14. suit — in cards
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. mate — to breed
  18. season — in sport
  19. suit — to fit
  20. charge — electricity
  21. board — a committee
  22. clip — for paper
  23. suit — clothes
  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