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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. clip — for paper
  4. clip — a video
  5. charge — a price
  6. track — to keep track
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. clip — to cut
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. kick — in football
  12. charge — electricity
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — a law
  16. rush — hurry
  17. charge — in control
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. chair — a leader
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. track — a path
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. chair — a professorship

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