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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. wind — moving air
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bound — certain
  6. suit — clothes
  7. charge — in control
  8. cap — of ice
  9. wake — a trail
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bound — tied together
  12. charge — electricity
  13. current — electric
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. suit — in cards
  16. current — of water
  17. current — happening now
  18. season — of the year
  19. suit — to fit
  20. charge — a price
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. cap — a lid
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. season — in sport

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