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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. charge — electricity
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — in control
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. cap — a hat
  10. clip — a video
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. clip — for paper
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. staff — employees
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. clip — to cut
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cap — of ice
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. staff — employees

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