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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. rock — a stone
  3. lean — to bend
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — a price
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. clip — a video
  8. lean — thin
  9. clip — for paper
  10. wound — an injury
  11. object — a thing
  12. fork — in a road
  13. object — an aim
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. rock — music
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. object — to protest
  23. charge — in control
  24. wound — an injury

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