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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. clip — a video
  4. charge — a price
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. kid — to tease
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. kid — child
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. charge — in control
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. clip — for paper
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — hurry
  22. charge — electricity
  23. clip — to cut
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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