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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: spell · clip · present · wake · ground · fan · charge · roll

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. clip — a video
  4. present — a gift
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. present — the time now
  7. charge — a price
  8. spell — letters
  9. wake — a trail
  10. roll — a list
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. clip — to cut
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. spell — a short time
  15. clip — for paper
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. charge — electricity
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. roll — a cake
  20. charge — in control
  21. ground — crushed
  22. present — there
  23. spell — magic
  24. ground — a position

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