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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. rest — what's left
  3. land — a country
  4. swing — in golf
  5. rest — what's left
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. rest — a break
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — government
  10. plane — a tool
  11. rule — a law
  12. charge — a price
  13. swing — music
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. tear — from crying
  16. squash — to crush
  17. land — ground
  18. tear — from crying
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. charge — electricity
  21. squash — the sport
  22. charge — in control
  23. tear — to rip
  24. swing — to play on

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