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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — a face
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — certain
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. mug — to rob
  10. chest — a box
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. rash — a series
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. last — to go on
  16. last — finally
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — electricity
  21. last — final
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bound — tied together
  24. charge — a price

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