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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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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: wake · cue · saw · ground · dip · charge · bound · temple

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. 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. bound — obliged
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — for pool
  6. wake — a trail
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. charge — a price
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — a position
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bound — certain
  15. charge — electricity
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bound — tied together
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. cue — a hint
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. 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