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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: key · clip · pound · charge · rest · rule

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. clip — for paper
  5. charge — electricity
  6. rule — a law
  7. charge — in control
  8. clip — a video
  9. key — the most important part
  10. rest — a break
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. key — for a lock
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. key — in music
  15. pound — a weight
  16. charge — a price
  17. rule — government
  18. clip — to cut

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