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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 116 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. last — final
  3. clip — a video
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. rock — a stone
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. ground — crushed
  8. face — to point toward
  9. rock — music
  10. face — part of the head
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — a position
  13. charge — electricity
  14. face — to confront
  15. last — finally
  16. charge — a price
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. last — to go on
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. charge — in control
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — to bear
  24. clip — for paper

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