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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. charge — a price
  3. field — a subject
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. field — for sport
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. charge — electricity
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. charge — in control
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. field — farmland
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bound — certain
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bound — tied together
  24. ruler — for measuring

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