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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. drill — the tool
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. last — to go on
  8. present — the time now
  9. drill — army training
  10. bound — certain
  11. last — final
  12. charge — electricity
  13. present — there
  14. charge — in control
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. last — finally
  17. hand — help
  18. charge — a price
  19. present — a gift
  20. hand — in cards
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bound — tied together
  24. drill — a practice

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