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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cold — an illness
  4. bound — obliged
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bound — certain
  7. charge — a price
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. charge — in control
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bound — tied together
  13. ground — the earth
  14. charge — electricity
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. cold — not warm
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — to breed
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. ground — crushed

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