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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. drill — the tool
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. charge — a price
  6. bound — certain
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. charge — electricity
  10. vault — a safe
  11. root — the cause
  12. drill — army training
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bound — tied together
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wake — a trail
  18. charge — in control
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a tool
  23. drill — a practice
  24. root — of a word

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