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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. drill — army training
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. bound — tied together
  8. cold — not warm
  9. fork — in a road
  10. charge — a price
  11. last — to go on
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. charge — in control
  14. last — final
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. last — finally
  17. cold — an illness
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bound — certain
  21. drill — a practice
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. drill — the tool
  24. charge — electricity

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