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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bear — the animal
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. charge — electricity
  7. chair — a leader
  8. clip — a video
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. charge — a price
  11. snap — to click
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. deal — to handle
  15. tube — the underground
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. tube — a container
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. clip — for paper
  22. clip — to cut
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bear — the animal

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