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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mouse · bound · charge · mine · cold · tube

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cold — not warm
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — a container
  6. bound — tied together
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bound — obliged
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. charge — a price
  13. mine — for digging
  14. charge — electricity
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. cold — an illness
  17. bound — certain
  18. charge — in control

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