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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. clip — to cut
  3. file — a tool
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — final
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. clip — a video
  8. charge — a price
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. key — for a lock
  11. last — finally
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. root — of a word
  15. clip — for paper
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — in control
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — the cause
  20. key — the most important part
  21. file — a document
  22. key — in music
  23. file — a line of people
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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