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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 124 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. season — of the year
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. charge — in control
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. charge — a price
  7. track — a song
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. track — a path
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. chip — for betting
  13. clip — for paper
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. toast — bread
  17. can — a tin
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. track — to keep track
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. charge — electricity
  23. clip — a video
  24. toast — the most admired

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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