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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 120 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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — for digging
  4. charge — in control
  5. craft — boats
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. charge — electricity
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. spell — a short time
  12. rule — government
  13. craft — a skill
  14. spell — letters
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rule — a law
  17. rash — a series
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. spell — magic
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. foot — a measure
  24. rest — what's left

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