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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 · can · clip · wake · charge · stick · kid · wound

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. wake — a trail
  4. kid — child
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. can — a tin
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wound — an injury
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — electricity
  12. clip — a video
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. clip — for paper
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. can — to be able to
  18. kid — to tease
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. clip — to cut
  21. can — a tin
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. charge — in control
  24. wound — an injury

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