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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: clip · cold · charge · jam · can · staff · cell · bowl

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. charge — in control
  4. staff — employees
  5. cold — an illness
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. clip — for paper
  9. charge — a price
  10. staff — a stick
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. clip — a video
  13. cold — not warm
  14. can — a tin
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. can — to be able to
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. staff — employees
  20. can — a tin
  21. clip — to cut
  22. cell — a phone
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. bowl — a dish

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