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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. firm — decided
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. kid — child
  5. bound — obliged
  6. firm — steady
  7. row — a line
  8. bound — tied together
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. charge — electricity
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. firm — a company
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. charge — a price
  16. kid — to tease
  17. band — a music group
  18. bound — certain
  19. row — to paddle
  20. band — a ring
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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