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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 120 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  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. board — a committee
  2. bound — certain
  3. hand — help
  4. charge — electricity
  5. present — a gift
  6. vault — a safe
  7. spring — a coil
  8. board — to get on
  9. charge — a price
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — the season
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — in cards
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. present — the time now
  17. bound — obliged
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. present — there
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. charge — in control
  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