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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: bear · staff · last · club · bound · chest · lie · charge

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bear — the animal
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bound — obliged
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. last — to go on
  9. club — a group
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bear — the animal
  12. club — for dancing
  13. last — final
  14. last — finally
  15. bound — tied together
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bound — certain
  18. charge — electricity
  19. chest — a box
  20. club — for golf
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. charge — in control
  24. lie — to recline

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