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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bound — certain
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. charge — a price
  5. bound — obliged
  6. kid — child
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. staff — a stick
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. charge — electricity
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. toast — bread
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. charge — in control
  15. clip — a video
  16. perch — the fish
  17. clip — to cut
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. clip — for paper
  20. kid — to tease
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. staff — employees
  24. bound — tied together

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