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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: mug · mine · charge · roll · snap · bound · suit · kick

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bound — obliged
  3. snap — to click
  4. charge — a price
  5. suit — clothes
  6. kick — in football
  7. bound — tied together
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. suit — to fit
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bound — certain
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. charge — electricity
  16. roll — a list
  17. mine — for digging
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. mug — a face
  20. roll — a cake
  21. charge — in control
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mine — belonging to me

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