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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. race — humankind
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. fall — to drop
  6. charge — a price
  7. race — a contest
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. bound — tied together
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. cap — a lid
  13. saw — the tool
  14. race — the arms race
  15. charge — electricity
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bound — certain
  19. cap — of ice
  20. saw — the tool
  21. cap — a hat
  22. charge — in control
  23. fall — the season
  24. fall — to drop

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