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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bound — obliged
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — electricity
  8. club — for dancing
  9. vault — a safe
  10. wake — a trail
  11. spell — letters
  12. club — for golf
  13. spell — a short time
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bound — certain
  17. mark — a grade
  18. spell — magic
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bound — tied together
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. charge — in control
  23. mark — a trace
  24. club — a group

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