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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 116 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. wake — a trail
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bound — certain
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bore — to tire
  10. firm — steady
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. lie — to recline
  13. charge — in control
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — a company
  18. last — finally
  19. last — final
  20. bound — obliged
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. charge — a price
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. last — to go on

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