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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. clip — a video
  3. suit — in cards
  4. march — music
  5. clip — to cut
  6. lean — to bend
  7. stock — goods
  8. march — the month
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. charge — a price
  11. wind — moving air
  12. stock — shares
  13. bass — low music
  14. march — the month
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bass — the fish
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. clip — for paper
  20. suit — clothes
  21. wind — moving air
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. suit — to fit
  24. lean — thin

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