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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bound — tied together
  4. last — finally
  5. charge — electricity
  6. capital — a city
  7. suit — to fit
  8. staff — employees
  9. capital — money
  10. staff — a stick
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. content — happy
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. last — to go on
  15. charge — a price
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bound — obliged
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. last — final
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. charge — in control
  23. staff — employees
  24. content — the amount

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