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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. charge — in control
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. swing — to play on
  6. land — ground
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — music
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. pop — to visit
  11. swing — music
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. charge — electricity
  14. cell — in biology
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. land — to come down
  17. rule — a law
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. charge — a price
  20. swing — in golf
  21. rule — government
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. land — a country
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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