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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rest — what's left
  4. key — in music
  5. clip — a video
  6. key — the most important part
  7. kid — child
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bass — low music
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. key — for a lock
  12. rest — a break
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. clip — for paper
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — the fish
  19. clip — to cut
  20. bank — for money
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. charge — in control
  24. kid — to tease

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