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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. clip — a video
  4. staff — a stick
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — electricity
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — a gift
  10. chip — for betting
  11. snap — to click
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mark — a grade
  14. staff — employees
  15. charge — a price
  16. chip — to eat
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. clip — for paper
  21. mark — a trace
  22. clip — to cut
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. present — there

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