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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. present — the time now
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bound — obliged
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. land — ground
  7. present — a gift
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — tied together
  10. clip — to cut
  11. charge — a price
  12. land — a country
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — electricity
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. clip — a video
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. present — there
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — a series

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