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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — in control
  5. bound — tied together
  6. spring — of water
  7. bound — certain
  8. spring — the season
  9. object — a thing
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. object — an aim
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a hat
  17. object — to protest
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. charge — a price
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. spring — a coil
  24. bound — obliged

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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