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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. rest — what's left
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — obliged
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — in control
  8. face — to point toward
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. charge — a price
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. rest — what's left
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. rest — a break
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. content — the amount
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. face — to confront
  24. bound — certain

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