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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bound — certain
  4. key — the most important part
  5. chest — a box
  6. last — to go on
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — tied together
  9. key — in music
  10. chest — of your body
  11. craft — a skill
  12. kid — child
  13. charge — electricity
  14. chest — of your body
  15. charge — in control
  16. last — finally
  17. last — final
  18. key — for a lock
  19. charge — a price
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. kid — to tease
  24. fine — high quality

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