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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bound — certain
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. cell — a phone
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bound — obliged
  13. charge — a price
  14. dip — to sink
  15. rash — hasty
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. charge — electricity
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bound — tied together
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. rash — a series
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. cell — in biology
  24. trunk — of a car

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