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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. face — to point toward
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. charge — a price
  8. fork — in a road
  9. face — to confront
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. hand — help
  13. bound — certain
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bound — tied together
  16. band — a ring
  17. face — part of the head
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rush — hurry
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bound — obliged
  22. hand — in cards
  23. charge — electricity
  24. band — a music group

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