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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. charge — in control
  3. clip — to cut
  4. mug — a cup
  5. clip — for paper
  6. tear — from crying
  7. perch — the fish
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. tear — to rip
  13. charge — electricity
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — magic
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. mug — a face
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. clip — a video
  20. charge — a price
  21. tear — from crying
  22. mug — to rob
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. spell — letters

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