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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. charge — a price
  3. fall — the season
  4. toast — bread
  5. degree — temperature
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — electricity
  11. degree — an amount
  12. clip — for paper
  13. fine — high quality
  14. game — wild animals
  15. fall — to drop
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. clip — a video
  19. game — a match
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. rush — hurry
  22. degree — from a university
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. fall — to drop

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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