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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bound — tied together
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bound — obliged
  6. charge — a price
  7. cap — a lid
  8. content — the amount
  9. bulb — for light
  10. roll — a list
  11. cap — of ice
  12. hand — help
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a cake
  18. charge — electricity
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — happy
  21. bulb — for light
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cap — a hat
  24. charge — in control

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