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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. charge — in control
  3. bound — certain
  4. charge — a price
  5. pound — a weight
  6. band — a ring
  7. tear — to rip
  8. bound — obliged
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. tear — from crying
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. band — a music group
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — in cards
  18. ball — a great time
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bound — tied together
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. hand — help
  24. tear — from crying

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