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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. land — to come down
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mug — to rob
  6. charge — a price
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. band — a music group
  9. land — ground
  10. kick — in football
  11. mug — a face
  12. rush — hurry
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. mug — a cup
  16. land — a country
  17. charge — in control
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bound — certain
  20. band — a ring
  21. bound — tied together
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. charge — electricity
  24. kick — a thrill

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