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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. clip — a video
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — a series
  6. clip — to cut
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. clip — for paper
  9. firm — decided
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. cell — in biology
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. firm — steady
  15. perch — the fish
  16. cell — a phone
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — electricity
  21. pound — a weight
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. firm — a company
  24. charge — a price

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