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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 120 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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — electricity
  4. bound — obliged
  5. pass — a permit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. spring — a coil
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. stem — to come from
  11. charge — in control
  12. suit — to fit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. clip — for paper
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. suit — clothes
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. clip — to cut
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — certain
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — the season
  24. kick — in football

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