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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: staff · rash · wave · pit · clip · charge · stand · game

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. clip — for paper
  3. game — wild animals
  4. staff — a stick
  5. pit — in a race
  6. stand — to bear
  7. rash — a series
  8. game — a match
  9. pit — a hole
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. charge — in control
  12. staff — employees
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. charge — a price
  15. clip — to cut
  16. staff — employees
  17. clip — a video
  18. charge — electricity
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. rash — hasty

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