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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 are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — tied together
  3. staff — employees
  4. rash — a series
  5. wound — an injury
  6. staff — a stick
  7. charge — a price
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. staff — employees
  10. land — to come down
  11. rest — what's left
  12. land — a country
  13. land — ground
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — moving air
  16. rest — a break
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — in control
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bound — certain
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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