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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. charge — in control
  4. row — a line
  5. land — a country
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. land — ground
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. suit — to fit
  11. land — to come down
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. charge — a price
  14. suit — clothes
  15. fall — the season
  16. wind — moving air
  17. row — to paddle
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. charge — electricity
  22. wind — moving air
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. suit — in cards

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