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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bound — obliged
  3. current — happening now
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. tube — a container
  7. bound — certain
  8. charge — in control
  9. cell — a phone
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. plane — a tool
  14. current — electric
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bound — tied together
  17. vault — a safe
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. tube — the underground
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. current — of water
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. charge — electricity

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