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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bound — obliged
  3. present — the time now
  4. rule — government
  5. suit — in cards
  6. cap — a hat
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bound — certain
  9. mine — for digging
  10. suit — clothes
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rash — a series
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — a price
  16. cap — a lid
  17. rash — hasty
  18. suit — to fit
  19. bound — tied together
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. present — a gift
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. cap — of ice
  24. rule — a law

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