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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bound — certain
  3. fall — to drop
  4. suit — in cards
  5. kid — to tease
  6. charge — a price
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. drill — army training
  9. suit — to fit
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. kid — child
  12. fall — to drop
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. suit — clothes
  15. drill — the tool
  16. spring — the season
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bound — obliged
  19. drill — a practice
  20. fall — the season
  21. spring — of water
  22. bound — tied together
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — in control

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