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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 116 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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. file — a tool
  3. tear — from crying
  4. board — to get on
  5. bound — obliged
  6. content — the amount
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bound — tied together
  10. tear — to rip
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. tear — from crying
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. charge — a price
  15. file — a document
  16. bound — certain
  17. charge — electricity
  18. press — newspapers
  19. press — a publisher
  20. charge — in control
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — boats
  23. press — to push
  24. board — a committee

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