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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: ruler · rest · hide · spring · charge · fan · bound · dip

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. charge — in control
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rest — a break
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. spring — of water
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bound — obliged
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bound — certain
  14. charge — a price
  15. spring — the season
  16. rest — what's left
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. charge — electricity
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. spring — a coil
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — to dunk

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