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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. wake — a trail
  3. march — the month
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. spell — a short time
  7. charge — in control
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. spell — letters
  10. mine — for digging
  11. charge — electricity
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — a thing
  14. march — the month
  15. bound — obliged
  16. stand — to bear
  17. spell — magic
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — tied together
  20. object — an aim
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. charge — a price
  24. march — music

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