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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. rush — hurry
  3. shower — to wash
  4. land — ground
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a lid
  7. land — to come down
  8. charge — in control
  9. cap — a hat
  10. shower — rain
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. kick — in football
  14. charge — a price
  15. kid — to tease
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bound — tied together
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. land — a country
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kid — child
  22. bound — certain
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. kick — a thrill

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