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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bound — obliged
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — letters
  5. charge — a price
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. kid — to tease
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. row — to paddle
  10. spell — a short time
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. charge — electricity
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bound — certain
  15. cue — for pool
  16. charge — in control
  17. kid — child
  18. cue — a hint
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bound — tied together
  23. cue — a signal
  24. suit — to fit

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