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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. game — a match
  3. land — a country
  4. land — to come down
  5. wake — a trail
  6. drill — the tool
  7. game — wild animals
  8. drill — army training
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. charge — a price
  13. drill — a practice
  14. snap — to click
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. charge — electricity
  20. land — ground
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. wake — before a funeral

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