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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 116 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bound — certain
  3. charge — electricity
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. charge — a price
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. hand — help
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. band — a music group
  13. charge — in control
  14. tube — a container
  15. bound — obliged
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — hurry
  18. hand — in cards
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bound — tied together
  21. tube — the underground
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. coach — a trainer

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