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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bass — low music
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. bound — certain
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. charge — in control
  7. spell — magic
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bound — tied together
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. spell — letters
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — a price
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bass — the fish
  20. cap — a lid
  21. rest — what's left
  22. cell — in biology
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bound — obliged

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