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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rash — a series
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. stem — to come from
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bound — tied together
  10. rash — hasty
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. charge — in control
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. charge — electricity
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. mine — for digging
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — a safe
  21. bound — certain
  22. charge — a price
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. nail — on a finger

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