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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. key — the most important part
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — tied together
  6. tube — the underground
  7. charge — electricity
  8. key — for a lock
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. charge — a price
  12. key — in music
  13. fall — to drop
  14. charge — in control
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — a container
  18. ruler — for measuring

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