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

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. rule — government
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — to grow
  6. suit — clothes
  7. land — a country
  8. last — to go on
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. suit — to fit
  11. staff — employees
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. staff — a stick
  14. land — ground
  15. last — final
  16. fork — in a road
  17. last — finally
  18. staff — employees
  19. land — to come down
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chair — a leader
  22. rule — a law
  23. suit — in cards
  24. rule — to rule out

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