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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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. club — a group
  4. rule — a law
  5. cold — an illness
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — for golf
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — certain
  11. charge — in control
  12. tear — to rip
  13. race — humankind
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. tear — from crying
  16. rule — government
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. charge — a price
  19. race — a contest
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cold — not warm
  22. tear — from crying
  23. charge — electricity
  24. race — the arms race

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