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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bound — certain
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. charge — a price
  7. board — a committee
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — for sport
  10. lie — to recline
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. charge — electricity
  20. board — to get on
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. court — of law
  23. bound — obliged
  24. charge — in control

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