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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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Word bank
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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: stick · lean · charge · swing · clip · toast · shower · bear

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. shower — rain
  3. swing — in golf
  4. toast — bread
  5. clip — to cut
  6. bear — the animal
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. swing — music
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bear — the animal
  11. charge — a price
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. swing — to play on
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. lean — thin
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. clip — a video
  19. charge — electricity
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. lean — to bend
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. shower — to wash
  24. charge — in control

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