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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 120 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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — electricity
  3. race — humankind
  4. pass — a permit
  5. spring — the season
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. charge — in control
  8. clip — for paper
  9. spring — a coil
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. snap — to click
  12. race — the arms race
  13. spring — of water
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. clip — a video
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. race — a contest
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. clip — to cut
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. safe — out of danger

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