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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. current — electric
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bound — obliged
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. clip — for paper
  7. charge — electricity
  8. clip — a video
  9. clip — to cut
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mate — to breed
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. rock — a stone
  14. mate — a partner
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. rock — music
  17. current — of water
  18. current — happening now
  19. charge — in control
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bound — tied together
  22. saw — the tool
  23. charge — a price
  24. mate — a friend

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