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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.

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 · ruler · game · craft · mate · bound · mine · wind

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mate — a friend
  3. wind — moving air
  4. mine — for digging
  5. game — a match
  6. game — wild animals
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. charge — in control
  9. craft — boats
  10. charge — a price
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bound — certain
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. craft — a skill
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. wind — moving air
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — tied together
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. charge — electricity
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. game — a kind of play

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