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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. clip — a video
  3. clip — to cut
  4. bound — obliged
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. current — electric
  8. current — of water
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bound — certain
  11. stock — shares
  12. bound — tied together
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. stock — goods
  15. clip — for paper
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bore — to tire
  20. charge — a price
  21. bore — to drill
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. current — happening now
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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