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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bound — obliged
  3. lean — thin
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. content — happy
  6. charge — electricity
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. charge — a price
  9. mark — a trace
  10. charge — in control
  11. lean — to bend
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. content — the amount
  14. sharp — clever
  15. plane — a tool
  16. fall — to drop
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. bound — tied together
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bound — certain
  24. lean — to rest against

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