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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.

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: leaves · charge · clip · stick · mine · ground · ruler · hand

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — a price
  4. ground — crushed
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. clip — a video
  8. mine — for digging
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. hand — help
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. hand — in cards
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. clip — to cut
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. clip — for paper
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. charge — in control
  24. ground — a position

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