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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: race · trunk · charge · fall · pitcher · bound · bay · mine

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bound — certain
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. race — humankind
  11. fall — to drop
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. charge — in control
  15. race — the arms race
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bound — obliged
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. race — a contest
  20. charge — a price
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bound — tied together
  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