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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: mine · wave · clip · charge · bark · scale · staff · object

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. staff — a stick
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. staff — employees
  7. bark — to shout
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. charge — a price
  10. staff — employees
  11. mine — for digging
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. clip — to cut
  15. charge — in control
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — an aim
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. object — to protest
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. clip — for paper
  23. scale — size or range
  24. mine — an explosive

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