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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. clip — to cut
  3. clip — a video
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. charge — a price
  8. object — to protest
  9. rash — hasty
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. clip — for paper
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — electricity
  15. wound — an injury
  16. foot — a measure
  17. object — a thing
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rash — a series
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. object — an aim

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