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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: charge · swing · safe · bound · plane · leaves · cold · net

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. net — after costs
  4. bound — obliged
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. charge — a price
  8. cold — an illness
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — music
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. net — in sport
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. swing — to play on
  17. plane — a tool
  18. cold — not warm
  19. net — for catching
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — electricity
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bound — certain

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