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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. spell — a short time
  3. key — in music
  4. spell — magic
  5. key — for a lock
  6. charge — electricity
  7. rule — a law
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bound — tied together
  10. net — in sport
  11. mate — to breed
  12. net — after costs
  13. mate — a friend
  14. spell — letters
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — a price
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. net — for catching
  19. key — the most important part
  20. rule — government
  21. mate — a partner
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — obliged

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