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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — in control
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. chest — a box
  5. tube — a container
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bound — certain
  9. chest — of your body
  10. board — a committee
  11. charge — a price
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — obliged
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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