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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. charge — electricity
  5. spell — a short time
  6. wake — a trail
  7. rule — a law
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bound — certain
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. rule — government
  13. charge — in control
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. spell — letters
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. snap — to click
  21. spell — magic
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. charge — a price

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