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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: bound · shower · bore · wind · chip · squash · snap · charge

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. shower — rain
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. charge — in control
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. charge — a price
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bore — to drill
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. snap — to click
  12. bound — tied together
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. chip — for betting
  17. charge — electricity
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. squash — the sport
  21. shower — to wash
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bound — certain

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