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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. suit — clothes
  5. bound — obliged
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. charge — electricity
  9. swing — music
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bound — tied together
  13. suit — in cards
  14. last — to go on
  15. swing — to play on
  16. kid — to tease
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — to grow
  19. last — finally
  20. charge — in control
  21. kid — child
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. last — final
  24. bound — certain

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