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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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. charge — in control
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cold — not warm
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bound — obliged
  8. court — of law
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. charge — a price
  11. court — for sport
  12. bound — certain
  13. rock — a stone
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bound — tied together
  18. tube — a container
  19. charge — electricity
  20. court — of a king
  21. rock — music
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. plane — a tool
  24. tube — the underground

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