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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: wake · bound · wound · charge · chest · mug · suit · race

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bound — certain
  4. race — the arms race
  5. suit — clothes
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — a trail
  8. charge — a price
  9. race — humankind
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — electricity
  12. suit — in cards
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bound — obliged
  15. wound — an injury
  16. chest — of your body
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bound — tied together
  20. race — a contest
  21. chest — a box
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. suit — to fit
  24. chest — of your body

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