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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  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. bank — for money
  2. staff — employees
  3. bank — for money
  4. present — the time now
  5. clip — a video
  6. charge — a price
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. present — there
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — to cut
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bank — of a river
  17. staff — employees
  18. charge — electricity
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. sharp — clever
  22. staff — a stick
  23. present — a gift
  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