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

Word bank: kid · charge · drill · race · sharp · snap · ruler · bound

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. drill — army training
  4. bound — tied together
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — a contest
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. charge — in control
  9. drill — the tool
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. drill — a practice
  12. kid — to tease
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. charge — electricity
  15. sharp — clever
  16. kid — child
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. snap — to click
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bound — certain
  21. race — humankind
  22. charge — a price
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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