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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 116 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: cell · wound · fan · charge · bay · bound · track · fine

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. wound — an injury
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bound — obliged
  8. cell — a phone
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bound — certain
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — in control
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. track — a path
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. charge — a price
  20. track — a song
  21. wound — an injury
  22. fine — all right
  23. track — to keep track
  24. cell — in biology

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