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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. toast — bread
  3. charge — a price
  4. spell — magic
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. spell — a short time
  7. rash — a series
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. craft — boats
  10. bound — certain
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bound — obliged
  13. spell — letters
  14. rash — hasty
  15. craft — a skill
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. wake — a trail
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bound — tied together
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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