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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. plane — a tool
  3. charge — a price
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. cap — of ice
  7. charge — in control
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bank — for money
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. cap — a lid
  14. drill — the tool
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. bound — tied together
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. drill — army training
  23. cap — a hat
  24. drill — a practice

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