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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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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: charge · bound · plane · arm · dip · content · fall · net

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. fall — to drop
  4. content — happy
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — tied together
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. charge — in control
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. content — the amount
  11. charge — a price
  12. fall — the season
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bound — certain
  18. plane — a tool
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — in sport
  21. fall — to drop
  22. net — after costs
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. charge — electricity

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