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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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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: race · charge · wind · cue · firm · object · bound · arm

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — decided
  4. bound — certain
  5. object — to protest
  6. race — humankind
  7. firm — steady
  8. object — a thing
  9. bound — tied together
  10. race — a contest
  11. wind — moving air
  12. cue — a signal
  13. charge — in control
  14. cue — for pool
  15. object — an aim
  16. charge — electricity
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. cue — a hint
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. race — the arms race
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bound — obliged

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