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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.

Make a worksheet

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: foot · toast · wind · file · lie · charge · court · clip

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. charge — electricity
  4. toast — bread
  5. foot — a measure
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a line of people
  8. court — for sport
  9. charge — a price
  10. court — of law
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. clip — a video
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. clip — for paper
  19. file — a tool
  20. clip — to cut
  21. wind — moving air
  22. charge — in control
  23. lie — to recline
  24. court — of a king

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