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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
468
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: charge · clip · scale · press · stick · bark · hide · lean

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. charge — electricity
  5. press — a publisher
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. scale — size or range
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. scale — in music
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. press — to push
  12. clip — a video
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bark — to shout
  15. charge — a price
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. lean — thin
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. clip — for paper
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. press — newspapers
  22. lean — to bend
  23. charge — in control
  24. clip — to cut

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