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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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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bound — tied together
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bound — obliged
  5. charge — electricity
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — thin
  8. file — a document
  9. staff — employees
  10. cell — in biology
  11. charge — in control
  12. staff — a stick
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bound — certain
  15. land — ground
  16. land — a country
  17. file — a tool
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. cell — a phone
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. file — a line of people
  22. land — to come down
  23. charge — a price
  24. staff — employees

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