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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. plane — a tool
  3. clip — to cut
  4. track — to keep track
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. wind — moving air
  8. current — happening now
  9. wind — moving air
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — in control
  12. hand — help
  13. current — electric
  14. clip — for paper
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. hand — in cards
  18. charge — electricity
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. current — of water
  21. track — a song
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. clip — a video
  24. track — a path

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