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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. charge — a price
  3. bound — obliged
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fall — to drop
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. suit — in cards
  9. charge — electricity
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bound — tied together
  12. craft — boats
  13. bound — certain
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. suit — clothes
  18. charge — in control
  19. fall — to drop
  20. cold — not warm
  21. cold — an illness
  22. suit — to fit
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. craft — a skill

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