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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. land — to come down
  4. charge — in control
  5. rush — hurry
  6. land — ground
  7. staff — employees
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. spell — a short time
  12. saw — the tool
  13. spell — magic
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. charge — a price
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. land — a country
  20. spell — letters
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — a stick
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bat — in an idiom

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