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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. charge — in control
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. object — a thing
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. race — a contest
  8. clip — to cut
  9. charge — a price
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bore — to tire
  13. craft — boats
  14. race — humankind
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bore — to drill
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. object — an aim
  20. fork — in a road
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. object — to protest
  24. clip — a video

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