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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: saw · squash · mine · ball · fine · present · bound · charge

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bound — tied together
  3. saw — the tool
  4. ball — a dance
  5. fine — all right
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bound — certain
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. present — the time now
  12. saw — the tool
  13. squash — the sport
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. charge — in control
  16. fine — high quality
  17. ball — a great time
  18. present — there
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bound — obliged
  21. present — a gift
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. squash — to crush

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