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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: leaves · jam · bay · content · clip · trunk · charge · rule

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — in control
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. clip — a video
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. clip — for paper
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. content — happy
  15. rule — government
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. rule — a law
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. charge — electricity
  22. clip — to cut
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. jam — in traffic

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