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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — a price
  5. bound — certain
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bound — tied together
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. club — for dancing
  11. plane — a tool
  12. club — for golf
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. land — a country
  16. club — a group
  17. chair — a leader
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. charge — electricity
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. land — ground
  24. land — to come down

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