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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 120 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. clip — a video
  3. rest — a break
  4. clip — to cut
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bore — to tire
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bank — for money
  12. bound — tied together
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bank — for money
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bore — to drill
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bound — certain
  21. bank — of a river
  22. clip — for paper
  23. rock — to move gently
  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