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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. rock — a stone
  5. bound — certain
  6. row — a line
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — electricity
  10. tear — from crying
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. row — to paddle
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rock — music
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. prune — to trim
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bound — obliged
  23. charge — a price
  24. rock — to move gently

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