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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: spell · stick · bound · game · current · lie · charge · bowl

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. game — a match
  3. spell — magic
  4. charge — electricity
  5. current — of water
  6. bound — obliged
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bound — tied together
  9. current — electric
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. charge — a price
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. charge — in control
  16. game — wild animals
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bound — certain
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. current — happening now
  24. spell — a short time

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