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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.

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: rash · ground · ruler · clip · fine · cue · charge · chest

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. rash — hasty
  3. clip — for paper
  4. rash — a series
  5. ground — the earth
  6. clip — a video
  7. ground — crushed
  8. chest — of your body
  9. cue — a hint
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. charge — electricity
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. cue — for pool
  16. ground — a position
  17. charge — in control
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. clip — to cut
  20. chest — a box
  21. chest — of your body
  22. fine — high quality
  23. cue — a signal
  24. fine — all right

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