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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.

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: wake · fall · drill · charge · dip · land · stick · bound

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. fall — to drop
  3. land — ground
  4. wake — a trail
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bound — tied together
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bound — certain
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. charge — a price
  15. fall — the season
  16. fall — to drop
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bound — obliged
  19. drill — the tool
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. charge — electricity
  22. drill — army training
  23. land — a country
  24. land — to come down

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