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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bound — obliged
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mine — for digging
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. spell — letters
  9. rock — a stone
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bound — tied together
  12. spell — magic
  13. charge — in control
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. spell — a short time
  16. last — final
  17. bound — certain
  18. charge — electricity
  19. last — to go on
  20. rock — music
  21. last — finally
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. dip — to sink

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