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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. chest — a box
  3. charge — in control
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. chest — of your body
  7. charge — a price
  8. face — part of the head
  9. staff — employees
  10. chest — of your body
  11. cue — a hint
  12. perch — the fish
  13. face — to confront
  14. bound — obliged
  15. staff — a stick
  16. cue — a signal
  17. charge — electricity
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. face — to point toward
  21. staff — employees
  22. bound — certain
  23. hand — in cards
  24. cue — for pool

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