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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. charge — in control
  3. swing — in golf
  4. object — an aim
  5. object — a thing
  6. cap — a hat
  7. fall — the season
  8. charge — a price
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bound — tied together
  11. swing — music
  12. cap — a lid
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. cap — of ice
  15. charge — electricity
  16. fall — to drop
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bound — obliged
  19. tear — from crying
  20. swing — to play on
  21. fall — to drop
  22. object — to protest
  23. dip — to sink
  24. tear — to rip

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