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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. clip — to cut
  3. fine — all right
  4. club — a group
  5. charge — a price
  6. clip — for paper
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. charge — in control
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. tube — a container
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. clip — a video
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. fine — high quality
  23. club — for golf
  24. tube — in a tire

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