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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: mate · mine · swing · charge · sharp · straw · bound · key

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — certain
  6. charge — electricity
  7. mate — a friend
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bound — tied together
  11. swing — music
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mine — for digging
  15. charge — a price
  16. key — for a lock
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. key — in music
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. swing — in golf
  22. swing — to play on
  23. sharp — clever
  24. key — the most important part

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