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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. sharp — clever
  3. hand — help
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. mate — a partner
  6. charge — in control
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. rule — a law
  9. mate — to breed
  10. staff — a stick
  11. charge — a price
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a music group
  14. charge — electricity
  15. staff — employees
  16. rule — government
  17. bound — tied together
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. hand — in cards
  20. band — a ring
  21. staff — employees
  22. mate — a friend
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bound — obliged

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