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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bound — certain
  9. land — a country
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — ground
  14. date — the fruit
  15. charge — a price
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. scale — in music
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bat — the animal

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