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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 116 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: leaves · clip · bay · kick · charge · pound · present · spell

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — there
  5. spell — magic
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. charge — a price
  8. pound — a weight
  9. present — a gift
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. clip — for paper
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — in control
  14. kick — in football
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. clip — a video
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — letters
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. clip — to cut
  24. leaves — to go away

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