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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.

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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pound · spring · track · can · hide · clip · charge · staff

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. track — to keep track
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — a weight
  5. charge — in control
  6. track — a song
  7. clip — to cut
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. staff — a stick
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. spring — a coil
  12. can — a tin
  13. charge — electricity
  14. clip — a video
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — the season
  18. staff — employees
  19. can — a tin
  20. track — a path
  21. clip — for paper
  22. staff — employees
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. charge — a price

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