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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. charge — in control
  3. track — a path
  4. charge — electricity
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — the season
  7. bound — certain
  8. mug — a cup
  9. track — a song
  10. track — to keep track
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bound — obliged
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mug — to rob
  15. row — a line
  16. bound — tied together
  17. spring — of water
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. mug — a face
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. charge — a price
  24. row — to paddle

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