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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. roll — a cake
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. roll — a list
  8. bound — tied together
  9. wind — moving air
  10. rush — hurry
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. charge — a price
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bound — obliged
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bound — certain
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. arm — a part of something

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