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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cell — a phone
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — in control
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — bread
  11. cap — a lid
  12. clip — a video
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. clip — for paper
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. charge — a price
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — for money
  20. cap — a hat
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. cell — in biology
  24. bank — of a river

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