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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. charge — in control
  3. can — a tin
  4. clip — for paper
  5. object — a thing
  6. charge — a price
  7. stand — to bear
  8. face — part of the head
  9. rash — a series
  10. can — a tin
  11. clip — to cut
  12. face — to confront
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. can — to be able to
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. clip — a video
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. object — to protest
  20. face — to point toward
  21. charge — electricity
  22. rash — hasty
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. rash — on the skin

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