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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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. spell — a short time
  3. mug — to rob
  4. clip — a video
  5. spell — letters
  6. fall — to drop
  7. court — of law
  8. court — of a king
  9. object — to protest
  10. spell — magic
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. object — an aim
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. clip — for paper
  15. court — for sport
  16. charge — electricity
  17. fall — to drop
  18. charge — in control
  19. mug — a face
  20. fall — the season
  21. object — a thing
  22. chair — a leader
  23. mug — a cup
  24. charge — a price

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