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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: clip · charge · wave · can · bark · pit · race · fall

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. pit — in a race
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. clip — to cut
  8. race — a contest
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. pit — a hole
  12. bark — to shout
  13. can — a tin
  14. charge — in control
  15. race — humankind
  16. clip — for paper
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — a price
  19. clip — a video
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. fall — the season
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. can — a tin

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