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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: clip · sharp · bay · wake · spell · present · charge · can

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. clip — to cut
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. sharp — clever
  7. wake — a trail
  8. present — the time now
  9. charge — electricity
  10. present — there
  11. spell — letters
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. can — a tin
  14. charge — a price
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. clip — for paper
  17. clip — a video
  18. charge — in control
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. present — a gift
  21. spell — magic
  22. can — a tin
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. can — to be able to

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