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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. staff — employees
  3. bass — low music
  4. spring — of water
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bass — the fish
  7. staff — a stick
  8. wake — a trail
  9. rest — a break
  10. bound — obliged
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — electricity
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. spring — the season
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. spring — a coil
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. staff — employees
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. dip — to sink
  24. charge — in control

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