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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: arm · current · clip · hide · ruler · pop · ground · charge

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. clip — a video
  4. clip — to cut
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. ground — a position
  7. charge — electricity
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. pop — soda
  11. ground — the earth
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — to visit
  15. current — of water
  16. charge — in control
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. current — electric
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. current — happening now
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. charge — a price
  23. ground — crushed
  24. arm — part of the body

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