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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — certain
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cue — a hint
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. content — the amount
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — in control
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bound — tied together
  17. chair — a leader
  18. content — happy
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. charge — electricity
  21. cue — for pool
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. cue — a signal

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