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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.

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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: object · rule · stick · bound · saw · wave · mark · charge

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bound — tied together
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a grade
  6. saw — the tool
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — electricity
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. mark — a trace
  11. object — a thing
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. rule — a law
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bound — certain
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. charge — in control
  19. rule — government
  20. object — to protest
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. object — an aim
  23. bound — obliged
  24. wave — with your hand

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