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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: bound · wave · court · file · charge · stock · plane · kick

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. charge — in control
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bound — obliged
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. file — a tool
  10. stock — shares
  11. court — for sport
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. stock — goods
  15. charge — a price
  16. court — of law
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. plane — a tool
  19. kick — in football
  20. court — of a king
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bound — certain
  23. file — a document
  24. file — a line of people

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