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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. cell — in biology
  4. spell — a short time
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bound — obliged
  9. charge — electricity
  10. fine — all right
  11. cell — a phone
  12. roll — a cake
  13. spell — letters
  14. wind — moving air
  15. roll — a list
  16. charge — a price
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. spell — magic
  19. bound — certain
  20. fine — high quality
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. charge — in control
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. cell — in a prison

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