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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. last — to go on
  3. charge — electricity
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. charge — a price
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bound — obliged
  11. charge — in control
  12. bound — certain
  13. capital — money
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. capital — a city
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. last — final
  21. last — finally
  22. bound — tied together
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. patient — a sick person

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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