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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — certain
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. charge — in control
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. drill — army training
  7. bound — obliged
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. charge — a price
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. mug — a cup
  15. drill — the tool
  16. mug — to rob
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. capital — a city
  19. charge — electricity
  20. drill — a practice
  21. mug — a face
  22. capital — money
  23. rest — a break
  24. prune — to trim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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