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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. suit — in cards
  3. charge — a price
  4. bound — tied together
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a line of people
  8. last — finally
  9. file — a tool
  10. mate — a friend
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — electricity
  15. mate — to breed
  16. suit — to fit
  17. mate — a partner
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bound — certain
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. bound — obliged
  23. last — to go on
  24. suit — clothes

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