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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a grade
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. spell — magic
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. rule — government
  8. spell — letters
  9. land — to come down
  10. rule — a law
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. mark — a trace
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. land — a country
  15. land — ground
  16. spell — a short time
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. pound — a weight
  20. charge — electricity
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — in control

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