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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.

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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 · foot · charge · present · clip · dip · wave · content

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. content — the amount
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. present — a gift
  5. clip — to cut
  6. present — there
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. charge — a price
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. charge — electricity
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. clip — a video
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. charge — in control
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. present — the time now
  21. content — happy
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. clip — for paper

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