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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. clip — a video
  3. charge — a price
  4. clip — for paper
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. fine — all right
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. charge — in control
  11. bass — the fish
  12. land — to come down
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — a group
  16. land — ground
  17. bass — low music
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. fine — high quality
  21. club — for dancing
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. charge — electricity
  24. land — a country

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