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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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. ball — a great time
  3. march — the month
  4. bound — obliged
  5. charge — in control
  6. bound — tied together
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. march — the month
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. charge — a price
  11. ball — a dance
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bound — certain
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. march — music
  17. saw — the tool
  18. charge — electricity
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. squash — the sport
  21. foot — a measure
  22. saw — the tool
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. squash — to crush

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