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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: cabinet · wound · track · charge · season · clip · date · can

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. date — the fruit
  3. clip — for paper
  4. charge — electricity
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wound — an injury
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. charge — a price
  11. can — a tin
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. track — a path
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. season — in sport
  16. track — to keep track
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. clip — to cut
  19. charge — in control
  20. clip — a video
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. can — to be able to
  23. season — of the year
  24. track — a song

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