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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bark — to shout
  3. charge — a price
  4. clip — for paper
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. clip — to cut
  7. chip — to eat
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. staff — employees
  10. charge — in control
  11. chip — for betting
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. clip — a video
  24. charge — electricity

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