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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. clip — for paper
  3. charge — a price
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. cell — a phone
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. charge — in control
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. wind — moving air
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. clip — to cut
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. wind — moving air
  16. craft — boats
  17. cell — in biology
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. foot — a measure
  23. charge — electricity
  24. chair — a leader

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