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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: bound · band · coach · clip · cabinet · safe · charge · wake

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. charge — in control
  6. bound — certain
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bound — tied together
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. band — a ring
  14. charge — a price
  15. clip — a video
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. clip — for paper
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. band — a music group
  20. wake — a trail
  21. charge — electricity
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. clip — to cut
  24. cabinet — ministers

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