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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 116 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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — ground
  3. charge — electricity
  4. land — to come down
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. charge — a price
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. present — there
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. rule — government
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. charge — in control
  15. bear — the animal
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bear — the animal
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — a gift
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. rule — a law

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