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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. charge — a price
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bound — obliged
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — the most important part
  9. charge — in control
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. key — in music
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bound — certain
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. charge — electricity
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wake — a trail
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. jam — a tight spot

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