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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — to tease
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bound — obliged
  10. rule — government
  11. band — a ring
  12. rule — a law
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bound — tied together
  15. vault — a safe
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bound — certain
  18. charge — in control
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. band — a music group
  24. kid — child

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