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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. roll — a list
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. rash — a series
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. charge — electricity
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. tube — the underground
  10. clip — for paper
  11. tube — a container
  12. bass — the fish
  13. clip — a video
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. roll — a cake
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bass — low music
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. charge — a price
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. lie — to recline
  23. charge — in control
  24. rash — hasty

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