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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. suit — in cards
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. fine — all right
  5. pit — a hole
  6. charge — a price
  7. fine — high quality
  8. squash — to crush
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. pit — in a race
  12. clip — a video
  13. wind — moving air
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. clip — for paper
  16. squash — the sport
  17. charge — electricity
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. clip — to cut

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