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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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468
Word bank
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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. charge — electricity
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. clip — a video
  7. charge — in control
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pass — a permit
  10. fine — high quality
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — moving air
  13. charge — a price
  14. clip — to cut
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. snap — to click
  17. fine — all right
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. dip — to sink
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. clip — for paper

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