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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. charge — in control
  3. land — to come down
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. clip — a video
  6. charge — electricity
  7. land — ground
  8. clip — for paper
  9. charge — a price
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — to fit
  12. rest — what's left
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. clip — to cut
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. suit — clothes
  19. track — a song
  20. land — a country
  21. track — a path
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. track — to keep track

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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