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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. spell — magic
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. charge — in control
  8. spell — letters
  9. charge — a price
  10. bound — certain
  11. spell — a short time
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bore — to tire
  16. toast — bread
  17. cell — in biology
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. bore — to drill
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a ring
  24. bound — tied together

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