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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: mine · fork · charge · bound · wake · object · file · bowl

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. charge — electricity
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. object — to protest
  6. bound — obliged
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bound — certain
  9. file — a line of people
  10. charge — in control
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. mine — for digging
  15. charge — a price
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. fork — in a road
  19. file — a tool
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — an aim
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. file — a document

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