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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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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: bound · mark · charge · cold · staff · snap · ball · jam

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cold — an illness
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. charge — electricity
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — employees
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. charge — a price
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bound — certain
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a dance
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — tied together
  19. mark — a trace
  20. charge — in control
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. staff — a stick
  24. cold — not warm

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