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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: hide · sharp · deal · clip · racket · mouse · staff · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. staff — employees
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. charge — a price
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. deal — to handle
  14. clip — for paper
  15. charge — in control
  16. staff — employees
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. clip — to cut
  19. sharp — clever
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. clip — a video
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. staff — a stick

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