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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — to fit
  4. can — to be able to
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. charge — electricity
  7. mine — for digging
  8. game — a match
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. can — a tin
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bound — certain
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. suit — in cards
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bound — obliged
  20. can — a tin
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. charge — in control
  23. game — wild animals
  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