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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.

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: charge · lash · tube · safe · fall · file · deal · bound

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. file — a tool
  4. fall — the season
  5. charge — a price
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — certain
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. deal — to handle
  11. fall — to drop
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. file — a document
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. charge — electricity
  19. tube — a container
  20. fall — to drop
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. charge — in control
  23. file — a line of people
  24. tube — the underground

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