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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: charge · clip · deal · staff · temple · perch · mug · bark

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. deal — to handle
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bark — to shout
  11. staff — employees
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. charge — in control
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. perch — the fish
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. mug — a face
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. charge — a price
  22. mug — a cup
  23. clip — to cut
  24. mug — to rob

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