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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. cell — in biology
  3. mug — a cup
  4. pop — to visit
  5. charge — in control
  6. pass — a permit
  7. charge — a price
  8. clip — to cut
  9. mug — to rob
  10. clip — for paper
  11. kid — child
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. mug — a face
  14. craft — boats
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pop — soda
  17. clip — a video
  18. cell — a phone
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pop — music
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. charge — electricity
  23. craft — a skill
  24. cell — in a prison

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