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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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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: staff · mouse · firm · bound · charge · last · content · tear

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. tear — to rip
  3. last — finally
  4. last — final
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. charge — a price
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bound — obliged
  9. firm — decided
  10. tear — from crying
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. firm — steady
  13. charge — in control
  14. staff — employees
  15. bound — tied together
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bound — certain
  18. firm — a company
  19. tear — from crying
  20. last — to go on
  21. charge — electricity
  22. staff — a stick
  23. content — the amount
  24. content — happy

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