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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bound — certain
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bound — tied together
  7. staff — employees
  8. rest — what's left
  9. race — humankind
  10. staff — a stick
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. ground — crushed
  13. staff — employees
  14. rest — what's left
  15. ground — a position
  16. race — the arms race
  17. toast — bread
  18. charge — in control
  19. bound — obliged
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. ground — the earth
  22. race — a contest
  23. rest — a break
  24. wind — moving air

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