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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — certain
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. charge — in control
  6. mug — to rob
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. mug — a face
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. tube — a container
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. charge — electricity
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. mug — a cup
  15. cold — an illness
  16. bound — obliged
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cold — not warm
  19. vault — a safe
  20. charge — a price
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — the underground
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. lie — to recline

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