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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. last — to go on
  5. clip — a video
  6. charge — electricity
  7. tear — from crying
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. last — final
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. tear — from crying
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. clip — for paper
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. last — finally
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. charge — a price
  23. clip — to cut
  24. tear — to rip

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