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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. staff — a stick
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. face — to point toward
  5. staff — employees
  6. charge — a price
  7. bound — obliged
  8. prune — to trim
  9. spell — magic
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. spell — letters
  12. charge — electricity
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bound — tied together
  15. staff — employees
  16. face — to confront
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. charge — in control
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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